Vanity
by Hadronix
Summary: Corrin (Mirande) is one of the elite dancers in the Crykensia theater, someone who is very self-conscious about her own appearance, due to past issues and 'deformities' she has had since birth: pointed ears, sharp teeth, and red eyes. AU, no Valla/Anankos, no war, King Garon is sane. Among other things.
1. Dance, Magic, and Make-up

**A/N:** Whew, let me tell you… if this ain't AU, then I dunno what is. *clears throat* Hello all, and welcome to an AU fic for Fire Emblem Fates: Custom Path. So, what are the modifiers this time? Well… let's find out, shall we?

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**ZygardeFusion:** My good sir, here's the first chapter of what ya have sent as a request… a commission, if you will. *bows* Thank you for sharing this idea with me… enjoy!

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**Consort:** Here's all the good wishes for another great fic!

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Twist, turn, hop, spin… Crynkesia's elite dancing group goes through their daily motions together. There are only about a dozen faces to go with this group, each of their own background and personality, but they all share one thing in common… an exceptional skill in the art of dance.

Pink, light blue, dark blue, a red, a tinge of purple… a wave of colored hair, each one picked for a specific dancer. Ribbons and bells, dancing flats and form-fitting clothing, each dancer looks divine in her own right. They put as much effort into their appearance as their own art. Nails expertly trimmed and painted, perfumed just enough to provide an allure, to an extent that even a well-known prostitute would be jealous of.

However, gods forbid anyone lays a finger on them, because while the dancers may be graceful, they are also highly treasured by their owners, their theater. Anyone who dares harm one of the elite dancers will answer to one of their personal bodyguards, who are trained essentially as a retainer.

"Aaaand… halt!" A clap echoes throughout the main stage as the dance's leader, Liavio announces, "Great job, girls!" Even among their own beauty, Liavio stands as a paragon, almost as if the gods themselves blessed her so that she rarely needs make-up. Absolute pristine, smooth skin, a smile that has defied normal laws to prevent any dreaded 'laughter marks', her hair is a strangely natural light-pink.

The only thing she really has to do is wash and apply perfume.

In an almost military-strict manner, the dancers line up within seconds, all smiling, a bit tired, but satisfied. "Thank you." Several different responses were made, but gratitude was the most prominent.

"Atsuna? Try to be a little less stiff next time, okay?" Liavio points out.

A quick bow from a light-blue hair dancer, whose just a bit more nervous than the rest, "Yes, ma'am." Atsuna joined recently, which might explain it.

"Echo? You still seem to be having some trouble getting more…" She trails off.

"I've tried eating a bit more of the fatty foods, but my body just goes through it too fast." Slightly darker skinned than the rest, but more importantly… skinnier.

"Well… you have this month's dance down fine, so… ease up on the constant practicing a bit. Take a few extra days off and see if that helps." Liavio hums, "Mirande…?"

"Yes, ma'am?" Her body is the most exposed out of all of them, and she stands just a few inches taller when compared to the rest.

"I absolutely adore your body, but just don't forget that during the actual performance, you'll need to wear what we all wear, so… I suggest practicing in that, instead."

Mirande nods, "I will, though I prefer learning a new dance in what I'm comfortable in." She is also relatively new, but more surprisingly… she sorta came out of nowhere.

She giggles, "Oh, I know… and you know I'm only telling you because it's protocol. I know you'll follow the rules."

Mirande snuck into the theater one day, happened to see one of the dances… then was escorted out. She was then spotted by one of the other dancers as she was mimicking what she saw on stage… in the main city. That dancer, who is Yserna, a Hoshidan who traveled all the way from Izumo and ended up in Crynkesia, she informed Liavio of it, and the next thing Mirande knew…

She was being held in a try-out and is now part of the elite dance team!

A 'once-in-a-lifetime' moment, some random street girl ends up on the elite dance team. Mirande has an innate talent that the leader has coaxed out of her. Sure, she isn't the best, but she is the quickest at learning a new dance. It also helps that she's very easy to approach.

"Yserna? Just… keep up the good work."

A gentle bow, "Yes, ma'am!"

"That's all, everyone… I'll see you in a few days!"

"Hey, Mira!" Yserna approaches her, "Would you like to go out for some tea?"

"I'll need to freshen up a bit first, but yes… I'd love to!" She flashes a bright smile.

"How can you do that? Wear all of this… all the time?" Atsuna asks.

"Does it bother you?" Mira asks.

"Well, not when we're practicing or during a performance, but… I couldn't imagine wearing it **all** the time." She wrings her hands.

"I just don't think about it too much." Yserna supplies.

"I think of my make-up like I do my clothes. After a while, it becomes routine and I don't even notice it when it's on." Mira nods.

"So, Mira… I tried eating a bit more…" Echo approaches her.

She giggles, "Perhaps we can walk and talk? Why don't we all go to the tea shop together?" She gestures towards Echo, "We can buy a few extra sweets and see if that helps…" Towards Atsuna, "And a fresh cup of hot tea should help settle your nerves some."

"Oh, that sounds wonderful!" Yserna exclaims, "How about we meet in our preferred spot in an hour?"

"An hour is plenty of time." Mira agrees.

"An hour… of waiting? I don't know about that." Atsuna says.

"Then how about we do something together, Atsuna?" Echo suggests. "To pass the time."

"Sure!" With that, those two head off.

"I'll see you soon, Mira!" And Yserna walks away.

"You as well…" Mira waves and returns to her home. A brief frown adorns her face… she just might need that entire hour.

* * *

"Mira." She's immediately greeted by her two bodyguards after she exits the theater. Two of the best… a hulking behemoth of a man who goes by the name of Benny and an almost terrifyingly powerful woman named Charlotte. Mira is like the porcelain doll to these two people. "Heading home, I assume?" Charlotte asks as she eyes Mira over.

"That's right." Mira offers a genuine smile. She knows Charlotte isn't really jealous, the two are quite close to each other. "Oh, and here… for your family." She produces an extra gold sack, just for her. Ever since Charlotte admitted why she needed gold so bad, Mira has been quick to offer 'bonus pay'.

By now, Charlotte and Mira are bound by friendship, rather than gold and a job title. Benny, on the other hand, just sorta… exists. He's this wall of steel that protects Mira from pretty much everything. "Front or back?" He asks.

"Um… back. I'd like for Charlotte to walk beside me." Mira says as they begin moving.

"So… how was practice?" Charlotte immediately dips into a conversation.

"Just another day of practice."

"And how do you feel?"

"Wonderful!" A slight lie, but Mira rather have happiness. "How's your family doing?"

"They are eternally grateful for the gold. I… thought I wanted to become a royal guard or wed into wealth, but…" She smiles, "Thanks to your generosity, they're mostly recovered and are holding their own jobs, so I'd rather just work with you."

"Oh? They're working now? How recent was this?"

"It was in the latest letter I got." She answers, "Along with 'You don't have to send so much gold to us, anymore'."

"Well… do they have a reserve built up?"

"Uh… no?"

"Then I'm going to keep sending gold until they have a fair portion of gold saved away for an emergency." Mira smiles.

"Aw, thank you!" The two share a quick hug.

Mira stops in front of her house, "Alright, so… it's that day again." A sigh exits her, "I'm going to need complete privacy this time."

"Understood." Benny takes up position next to the door.

"I'll see you soon, friend!" Charlotte exclaims.

Mira nods, goes into her home… and heads straight for the washroom. Breathe in… breathe out. Mira, almost shakily, raises one of her hands up to her face. With magic she's so used to casting, she undoes some of the Illusion magic. Not all of her make-up is physical, some of it is applied with magic. In this case? The magic fades as the deformities show.

_"Freak! Look at those ears!"_ She raises that same hand and touches the tips of her ears… which are pointed, unnatural. _"Who has red eyes?! A demon does!"_ The hand passes by her eyes, exposing the vivid-red color, _"A beast, too! Look at those teeth!"_ Sharpened, just wrong. _"No wonder your parents left you behind!"_ Orphaned, abandoned.

Mira chokes on some tears, then steels herself. Illusion magic only stays on for so long, but she isn't a master of it. She can hide some things, but not everything. As long as the ear tips are small, then she can hide them. Mira reaches into the counter and grabs a few doses of the relaxant, the pain-numbing herbs. "Appearances are everything." She mutters as she crushes some of it into an ointment. "I am not weird, I'm beautiful. **This** is not what I look like…" She places the ointment to the side, ingests a small leaf for an immediate effect, then grabs a towel. "I wish it would stop growing back… stop making me look like a monster!" One more steadying breath as she essentially gags herself with the towel, then grabs the scissors.

Her self-preservation kicks in as the metal closes around the ear tip, she whimpers and cries into the towel. She bites into the towel to suppress a cry of agony as the blades tear into that tip. Blood pours down. She quickly washes the blade and her fingers of the blood, then cleans off the fresh wound, is it enough? She applies some ointment and looks at it from a few angles…

Smooth-ish, mostly round. Alright, that ear is good enough. She takes another deep breath, this one through her nose, and she brings the scissors up to her other ear. Make it stop, make it end, stop growing back! A high-pitch squeal exits her mouth and into the towel, too far, too far! She frantically gets more water and starts cleaning the wound. A slightly larger dose of ointment and relief.

Mira undoes the towel and lets it drop. "G-Gods…" She cries into the sink. "Why do I have to look like a freak?! If… if anyone ever saw those deformities…" She starts cleaning off the rest of the blood in the area, then raises her hand one more time. A bit of healing magic… and then Illusion to cover up the scars, and one more Illusion spell to make her eyes colored an adorable baby-blue color. She forces a smile in the mirror, there… normal, pretty, accepted. She nods to herself.

Now, to take a proper shower… and then join her fellow dancers for some tea!

* * *

**A/N:** So… yes. Mirande (Mer-ahn-deh) = F!Corrin. Now for all of those questions… Why is her name Mirande? Why is she all the way over in Crynkesia? A dancer, at that? What's with those memories involving people mocking her appearance? It's apparently left a big scar on her to actually want to crop her own ears, so…

Her parents? What other changes will there be in this canon?

Strap in folks, because I have, what has to be, my most unique fic to date.

Oh and… yes. Liavio is Olivia in all but name and her signature shyness. What? I'm not good with names! At least… I picked names that can mostly be easily be pronounced.


	2. Tea, Biscuits, and Gossip

**A/N:** "Hadronix! You said that this was a 'testing the waters' type of thing… what happened?"

Well my imaginary guest… it was, but then I literally turned around and wrote this up within a few hours after posting the first chapter and **it** happened. The thing that I really love when I do something.

The idea 'clicked'.

So, I moved this from 'testing the waters' straight to 'Focusing', prepare to see somewhat paced updates on this one!

Also… there is a list of the dancers here. I made it primarily as a reference for me until I get used to the names and quirks, but I decided to keep it in for y'all. Again…

At least the names are much easier to pronounce this time around *cough* Draconic Brood from 'Corrin, of the Wolfskin' *cough*

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**Dancers:** **Liavio**: The instructor and lead dancer… is basically Olivia from Awakening, just without the shyness. **Mirande (Corrin)**: Aside from her canon personality, there is a darker undertone to her behavior when she's alone… she's heavily concerned about her appearance, she's also slightly taller than the rest. **Yserna**: The second best dancer, next to Echo, who first found out about Mirande in the streets of Crynkesia… she hails from Izumo. **Atsuna**: The newest dancer, she's still adjusting to the stress of being on the elite team and can be shy. **Echo**: The best of the elite group, she's darker skinned, and the only real problem she has is her high metabolism, which keeps her just a bit too skinny.

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**Namu Rosutoai:** Heh, more like it was ready to go and I really wanted to get the first chapter out there.

Uh-huh… seemed like a pretty chill and laid back chapter with nothing but good times then… **bam**! Issues pop up and now we're getting a scene of Corrin cropping her ears. It does seem like this Corrin has some pretty serious problems she's dealing with.

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**Dandaman5:** Whaaat? This isn't messed up… alright, maybe a bit. It's a woman dealing with the fact that she looks so different, that she was mocked for it, which in turn caused her to become incredibly sensitive about her appearance to the point where she does something… like crop her ears.

Glad you enjoy it!

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**Consort:** Oh yes, we ain't starting in Shirasagi, a Wolfskin den, or Krakenburg, but rather… Cyrkensia. Corrin… Mirande, rather. Her canon personality is certainly there, just like with Lupus… easy to approach, offers advice, has great charisma. However, we can also see that there has been some serious damage done to her composure, something that looks like will only show when she's alone.

Ah, let the assumptions roll in, because my dear friend… you've no idea on the scope of what's changing. But yes, there's a very good chance that Mirande and Azura will meet, as well as the Royals, since this is a theater and it's already been established in canon that they do visit here for performances. Maybe we'll see them for this month's performance?

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Mirande exits her house with a fresh set of make-up, recently applied Illusion magic, and frankly… an empty stomach. "Charlotte? Benny?" She asks, "Ready?"

"Always." Benny simply states.

"Of course!" Charlotte smiles. "The usual tea shop, right?"

Mira quickly nods, "Yep." With that, they begin walking.

"I see you went with the icy-blue lipstick." Charlotte notes. "Feeling… cold today?" A playful note to her voice.

"Well, I went with fiery-red last time, so why not the opposite?" She hums, "What should I go with next time?"

"Baby blue, just like your eyes."

"Yeah, but… I got a shade of blue on right now… how about green?"

"Like… forest green!"

The two nod in unison, "Forest green, it is." Then the two giggle.

"So, this month's dance…?"

"You know that I can't provide free seats."

"Oh, I know." Charlotte shrugs it off, "Perhaps I can see a sample?"

"Of course, but it has to be done out of sight." Mira nods. There's obviously a strict code when it comes to dancers, and showing off dances is one of them. Which is… frankly, partly the reason why Mirande was brought in so quickly into the theater. If Mira hadn't replicated the dance so well, she might've been left alone, but since it matched up so well…

"And I won't say a word." She assures her.

"Here." Benny firmly states.

"We'll be out here!" Charlotte waves with a smile.

"I won't be gone that long." Mira waves back. Oh yes, Charlotte is nice… to her. That axe of her is quite visible to everyone, something so heavy that it seems like the stuff that the best of the fighters use…

Or maybe it isn't, Mira knows next to nothing in terms of combat.

"Hey, Mira!" Yserna waves her down, "I got a table ready for us." Two other open seats, so Atsuna and Echo aren't here yet. "You're just a tad bit early, like… ten minutes?" She pulls a chair back for Mira.

"Thank you." Mira smiles as she takes a seat and Yserna pushes it in a bit. "I thought it would take me a bit longer." She admits… though to be fair, there wasn't as much to 'prune' as last time.

A concerned look and a slight head tilt, "You okay?"

Mira quickly pulls her hand away from the top of her ear… stupid reflexes and unconscious movements. "Just a little headache, nothing serious."

A slow nod, "Have you visited a healer for that yet? This is a monthly thing, after all."

"No, but it only lasts for a little bit, so I'm not that concerned about it." Mira tries to shrug off her friend's concern.

"But what if that day ends up being on a performance day?" She points out. "We're the elite, we can't afford to have a botched show."

Her words are harsh, but they're true. The elite group are the ones who aren't to make any errors during a performance, ever. They need to look and act perfectly… which is why Echo's seemingly inability to gain weight to get those desired curves is so important.

Though, at the same time, Mira knows this won't happen, since it only occurs after she recently crops her ears… which she would plan around a major performance. A slight shiver passes by her and she grabs the menu… not that she needs to read it, she has been here enough times. "Well, if it ever does line up with a performance, I'll just get some of those emergency pills before a performance."

Yserna winces, "Girl, that's probably the worst way to deal with it." The pill that Mira is referring to is one that can miraculously delay all pain… **delay**, so when the effects where off, it comes back all at once. So, why would they have that? Well, it's simple… nothing can stop Mother Nature from having a visit, and those pills are the only thing saving one of the elite dancers from having a feminine cramp mid-performance. "Have you forgotten the time I needed you to help me back home?"

Mira flinches, "No, I haven't forgotten… your legs were clenched shut the whole way back and I had to get Benny to carry you back."

"Trust me, go to a healer before using them." She advises, "If you can avoid it, then you shouldn't have to resort to one of those pills."

"I know…" Mira sighs.

Concern grows, "You're worried, aren't you? Listen here, beautiful… the healers are going to be looking at you in a professional manner. I know how you can get with your appearance, but it won't matter over there. There won't be any comments unless it's serious enough to affect your health."

Mira looks away, "The usual, I suppose." She offhandedly comments, wanting a topic change. "Mint tea and a variety of biscuits."

"I think we should split a cake this time." Yserna smiles. "One of those big ones!"

Mira looks herself over, "I don't know if I can do a cake, that might be a bit too much sugar."

"Then the other girls and I can split the cake." And just like that, the previous tension was gone.

"...I'll have an extra-thin piece." A sheepish smile.

Which causes the other to giggle, "That's my girl. Oh hey! Over here!" Yserna pops her arm up and waves the other two down. "Atsuna, Echo!"

"Heya!" Echo strides up.

"Hello…" Atsuna is holding a bit more confidence than earlier, and she's noticeably without her make-up. "It's a nice day, isn't it?"

"Really? The weather?" Yserna sighs. "C'mon girl, relax! It's just us for some tea and sweets."

"Atsuna, we're here to relax and just be us. In fact… I'm glad you came without your make-up, since that's what you're comfortable with." Mira nods. "Just because we're still wearing ours doesn't mean you have to wear yours."

"Oh, I know, it's just… we're the elite, you know? Always perfect and…" Atsuna slowly sits down. "I guess it's because I've been a part of the regular dance group for so long and now I'm with the best and… whew." She starts fanning herself. "I think I'd rather have an iced tea."

"I'll go for the hot chocolate with an eclair and…" Echo starts off.

"Woah woah, we're ordering a cake, Echo." Yserna cuts her off. "Like, a whole cake."

Echo forms an 'o' with her mouth, "Alright, then I'll just have a large hot chocolate and an eclair."

"Heh… I'm sure there's plenty of women out there who would die to have your skinny figure."

Echo laughs, "And they can have it! I'd like to have a bit more meat on my bones."

"Isn't it clear? It all goes straight to your chest!" Yserna points out.

Well… it's true, Echo does have the most pronounced chest out of all of them… relative to the rest of their body. When it comes to overall, Yserna is the most pronounced. "Doesn't yours like… throw off your balance?" Echo counters.

Yserna shakes her head, though it's Atsuna who speaks up next, "… hey, Mira? Yours still aren't growing that much?"

She quickly raises her hands and touches her own chest, suddenly feeling a lot more self-conscious, "...no."

"Atsuna, I know you mean well, but do try to keep direct comments about Mira's appearance to a minimum." Yserna is quick to step in. "She's very sensitive about how she looks."

This was something Yserna figured out on her own, as Mira never spoke of her insecurities to anyone. "Not all women are going to look as stunning as you all."

"Aw, it's alright, I mean gods… just look at your body! That figure! Even Liavio is jealous of what you're showing off." Yserna smiles. "You have like, the perfect curves!"

"I don't know many people who could show off skimpy clothing like you can, Mira." Echo nods. "Be proud of your body."

"I agree… you look very stunning, Mira. I'm sure even the Queens would be jealous." Atsuna says.

"Aw… thanks everyone." Mira flushes.

"Ooo, speaking of royalty, have any of you ever seen the Princes yet?" Yserna asks, "Gods, Prince Xander…"

"Yserna… don't tell me you're thinking about wedding out of dancing?" Mira playfully asks.

She gasps with mock-anger, "Of course not! I still have many years in me and I'm wanting to spend every last one of them as a dancer."

"But… at the same time, these prime years are also the best for having children." Echo states.

"Oh, I'd love to have a child! I wonder if I'll get to have my own Prince Charming…" Atsuna sighs.

"Someone nice and gentle, but also strong and protective." Mira adds, "A man who holds me close…"

"Ooo, so we're talking about our dream partners now, are we?" Yserna smiles, "It might not even be a thousand lifetimes, but I'd want Prince Xander."

"I'd just want someone to love me for me… not because of my dancing or what I have on, but just… me." Mira leans back some, becoming as lost in her own daydream as the others. "Gentle whispering, tight arms, loving me regardless, moving the world for me…"

And now it's Echo who remains largely silent, "Is something wrong?" Yserna asks, being the only one not so long in her own mind. Hesitation and concern.

"Do you have your own idea of what you'd want your love?" Mira follows up.

"A… woman, actually." Echo looks away.

"There's nothing wrong with that." Yserna. "So, how long ago did you figure that out?"

"It's… not that big of a deal?"

A collective shrug, "Why would it be?" Mira asks.

"Well, I don't know about any other place, but Izumo supports all walks of life. There are a lot of women married to women and men married to men there. It's nothing to be ashamed of… love is love."

"Echo… where are you from, exactly?" Atsuna questions.

"I was born somewhere in Nohr, though my father is from the Fire Tribe, a **very** dark-skinned man… almost like coal." She laughs, "Mother called him 'Firestarter'... he is completely **hairless** and there are burn marks all over his body… he likes to joke and say he used to be white-skinned until one day he got so angry that he set his whole body on fire and he ended up turning that black."

"Oh my… gods!" Mira exclaims, before the rest join in for the laughter.

"Yeah, I always kinda thought Fire Tribe because of your skin, but I didn't want to assume." Yserna nods. "Atsuna? What about you?"

"Port Dia, I'm afraid that's all I really got to offer." She looks away. "I didn't really have a…"

Yserna raises her hand, "If you're not comfortable talking about it, then don't, so… Echo? Your preference for women?"

Perhaps the casualness of it has calmed her down on the matter some, "I don't know, actually… I never really 'feel' anything when I look at any man or read anything on the heroic knights and the like… but I like reading about the women, the damsels in distress… why can't there be a story about a heroine saving a princess?"

Yserna sighs, "If you ever get the chance, go visit Izumo and check out their library. I haven't gone into all of them myself, but there is a lot of variety to be had."

Echo nods, "Well, thank you for the suggestion. And even more thanks for not… distancing me."

"Don't mention it…" A pat on the shoulder, "Alright enough talk, how about some snacks?" She raises a hand, "We're ready!"

* * *

Mira and the others exit the tea shop with mostly full stomachs… primarily composed of tea and sweets. Mira said she would just have an 'extra-thin' slice… but one slice turned into two, and the next thing she knew, she already had her fair share of one-fourth of the cake. Oh chocolate… why must you be so desirable?

"You seem satisfied, Mira." Charlotte greets with a smile.

"Yeah… a bit too much." A burp escapes Mira, which in turn causes her to flush. "Uh, here…" She hands her a bag, "Some extra sweets… have them, I don't wanna see anymore for the rest of the week."

Charlotte playfully tuts, "Everytime." She gladly takes the bag, "Ooo… there are even some bon-bons this time!" She immediately pops one in, savoring the chocolate and…

Mira turns away and swallows. "I meant it, I don't wanna see or hear anything about chocolate!" Her stomach is already starting to turn a bit.

"Here." Benny gruffly says, some tonic…

"Thank you, Benny." Mira nods, oh sweet… no wait, not sweet! It's relief, that's what it is! Mira takes a sip and within moments her stomach settles just a bit. "Alright… let's go home."

"Yes, ma'am!" Charlotte giggles.

"As you command." Benny nods. The three begin the walk back to Mira's house.

"So, how was your chat?"

"Oh, the usual… our dance sessions, what we should order, and 'guy' talk." A short pause, "Turns out Echo likes women."

Charlotte giggles, "I kinda figured, she has 'that' kind of body. I think she's the type who wants to be on top. And the others?"

"Yserna has a thing for Prince Xander. Atsuna and I both want our Prince Charming."

"Prince Xander?!" She echoes, "As if… the only one who could snag such a fine man would be you."

Mira flushes, "Charlotte, please…"

"Oh, Mira, you have to be one of the most beautiful women I've ever met! And you are always so careful when getting ready, it's like the gods themselves came down to make sure your make-up is perfect!" A huge smile adorns her face.

A small smile on her own face, "Well, I won't lie… I am very beautiful, aren't I?"

"Exactly! I think you could make anyone swoon… man or woman."

"I'll be out here." Benny states as they arrive. "First watch."

"Of course, so… come on in, Charlotte." Mira smiles. "Let's see if I have some spare make-up I can give you." The two enter her house.

Carpeted floors, bright red wall paint, chandeliers… Mira's house isn't that far from looking like a portion of a castle. "Oh, that would be lovely." Her bodyguard nods, "Oh, it smells wonderful!"

Mira breathes in, "I had the Spring Blossom scent renewed." She easily walks and heads towards the bathroom, "Give me just one moment for a shower and I'll be out… use what you need!" Into the bathroom, close the door…

Let out a tense sigh. Mira shakes her head and looks at herself in the mirror, a wave of her hand and the Illusion magic is gone… ears have mostly scarred up, but she's going to have to take care of her teeth soon. Mira shudders, while she can handle cropping her ears… filing her teeth is another story entirely. Mira moves over to the bathtub and starts filling it up with hot water.

_"Freak, weirdo! No wonder your parents left you!"_ All alone, nobody else to occupy her thoughts… the memories resurface. _"Nothing but a demon, a monster!"_ Tears form and she lets the sorrow take hold. She needs some release. _"Not even your own mother loved you!"_

Mira sniffs as she lowers herself into the water. "But even still, I made it… I'm beautiful, I'm one of the elite dancers. I will keep this position, even if I have to carve my body to do it…" Because gods forbid that the rest of the team ever find out…

No, Mirande refuses to let **anyone** in on that particular secret.

* * *

**A/N:** I don't think I ever wrote dialogue like this before… casual gossiping and feminine stuff. It felt a bit weird. I mean… self-doubt, sensitivity about appearances, body types and…

Mentioning periods?!

Oof. I hope nothing sounds too incorrect there.

Anyhoo… I gotta ask. Whaddya think of the dancers? While yes, this fic is meant to be centered around Mirande (Corrin), I also wanted her to lean on her friends… the dancers and Charlotte. So, why not lean on Benny? Well, the reason is simple…

And it'll be known next chapter ;)


	3. Her (Philandering) Prince Charming

**A/N:** ...Alright, just one more chapter, and **then** I'll go back to typing on my other fics more. Oh, and I forgot to mention something, something so game-changing, so AU, so major… You see, Mirande here? This version of Corrin? Yeah, uh…

…

She wears shoes.

* * *

**Dancers:** **Liavio**: The instructor and lead dancer… is basically Olivia from Awakening, just without the shyness. **Mirande (Corrin)**: Aside from her canon personality, there is a darker undertone to her behavior when she's alone… she's heavily concerned about her appearance, she's also slightly taller than the rest. **Yserna**: The second best dancer, next to Echo, who first found out about Mirande in the streets of Crynkesia… she hails from Izumo. **Atsuna**: The newest dancer, she's still adjusting to the stress of being on the elite team and can be shy. **Echo**: The best of the elite group, she's darker skinned, and the only real problem she has is her high metabolism, which keeps her just a bit too skinny.

* * *

**Namu Rosutoai:** She's really got something serious going on, doesn't she?

I'm afraid that secret is going to be kept a secret… even to the readers, for now. It will be revealed much later on.

Oh really? Oh, and her name is Echo.

Mmm, nope. No none of the Dragon Gods this time around.

Do take care of yourself, alright?

* * *

**Dandaman5:** Ah, I get what you're saying. Well, I'm glad I have content that you really enjoy.

* * *

Mirande is currently walking along the streets of Crynkesia, enjoying her day off. Even so, she still has her entire set of make-up on, and as she agreed with Charlotte last time, she's wearing a scheme of forest green, her dress reflecting a literal 'natural' feel with a design that makes it seem like the cloth is actually layered leaves. Even her hair has been dyed green!

"So, Mira? What's for today?" Charlotte asks. "I mean, I've got no problem with enjoying the sights, but…"

"I'm not sure, maybe we could shop?" Mira reaches and looks into her gold sack. Oh yes, there are many gold pieces in here to be spent, but…

A good chunk of that gold is going to be spent soon, her teeth are getting too sharp again and she's lacking enough of the pain-numbing herbs and her **grindstone** is starting to become too worn to use. Now, she could go and buy that stuff herself, but have you ever went somewhere, a place you clearly don't belong and buy in bulk?

Yeah… that's why she sends Benny to get those things. "Benny?" Mira asks, "I'm going to have to ask you to get 'that stuff' again." She hands him the gold pouch, "Extra herbs and a replacement."

"Understood." He simply says, walking off with the pouch in such a refined and trained manner, no questions, no hesitating, just doing what he was told. **That's** the difference between Benny and Charlotte. Benny is the one Mira refers to when she just wants something done, the stuff she might be too embarrassed to do herself. Charlotte is the one Mira likes to socialize with, the person to share the details of her days and to have some extra laughs and good times.

Both Benny and Charlotte were border guards, who happened to be in Crynkesia to escort a caravan… and they happened to encounter Mira. A short chat later and Mira offered for them to be her bodyguard.

And now here they are.

Mira shakes her head, well… due to her… needs, there goes any shopping until next her next pay. "How about going to the canal, then?" She instead asks.

A brief concerned glance from Charlotte, but she nods, "That sounds lovely." A friend, but still a bodyguard. With the destination in mind, the two head out towards the canal. "So… the monthly performance is coming up."

Mira smiles, "It is. I believe we're all ready for it, too." Every flaw has been worked out, though… Echo has only gained a few inches. At least Atsuna is relaxed. "That just leaves…"

"Ah, well hello there…" A noticeably smooth voice greets the two from behind. Charlotte is first to turn around, Mira is next and…

Oh.

Oh my.

"H-Hello…" Mira says as she looks at this man, oh gods…

He smiles. His hair is a light grey, very well-groomed. He's wearing a suit, though that's under a layer of padding, a sword rests on his side, but nothing in his stance suggests aggression. "My my, hello beautifuls." He offers a deep bow, "Two brilliant shining stars in a city of twinkles."

Mira flushes, her heart is racing, "Uh, hello." Mira repeats… Charlotte snickers at her state.

"My name is Laslow." He continues, "If I might ask for yours?"

"I'm…" Mira trails off.

"Her name is Mirande, I am Charlotte." Her bodyguard thankfully answers.

That smile never leaves, "Such beautiful names, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"I'm Mirande!" Mira finally exclaims. "Uh, it's nice to meet you! Did you… need anything? I know this city very well."

"If I may be so bold to ask… how about a trip to the local tea shop?" He produces a gold pouch, "My treat."

"Uh no, hold on." Charlotte steps in, "Just because you have a pretty smile and…"

"Sure, I'll go." Mira cuts her off.

"Mira!" Charlotte whispers, "He could be some sort of stalker or…"

"Oh, just give him a chance!" She's quick to respond, "By the gods… **look** at him!" Is she dreaming? It feels like she's dreaming. "Pardon her, she's one of my bodyguards… I'd love to join you for tea."

"A bodyguard, hm?" He echoes, before flashing a dazzling smile, "If it's protection you need, then rest assured… I am as skilled as they come." A bow, "As I said, my name is Laslow, and I work as a retainer." Oh… an actual retainer?

Well, Charlotte and Benny… as well as the other bodyguards for the elite dancers, might as well be considered retainers, for as skilled as they all are. Mira giggles, "Well… I'm pretty well protected, Charlotte and Benny do a terrific job at that." She bites her lip, gods… how can anyone be **that** handsome?! How often will she encounter a man who takes such good care of himself? He must be a retainer to like… a noble or something, as she can tell the quality of the care with a mere glance. "Shall we go, then?"

"Of course, Mira." Another chuckle and her legs feel like they weakened a bit.

* * *

Laslow, Mira, and Charlotte ended up going to the favored tea shop, as suggested by Mira. Mira's holding the menu for a lot longer than she normally would, to where that even Laslow has already decided on what he wants. Mira feels really warm and she's having a bit of trouble focusing. She's… never been on a date, and gods know she'd never think her first date would be with a… Prince Charming.

In short, her brain is kind of fried.

"The usual." Is what she tells the server… but forgets that the usual includes a big tray of a variety of biscuits. The menu is taken away and she's left with this man's divine radiance and… whew.

"Are you alright, milady?"

"You're breathndsome!" She squeaks out, before clapping her hands over her mouth and a fully flushed face from embarrassment… gods! She can't even talk right! Good job, Mira, now he'll…

He chuckles? "Ah, you are nervous? It's alright, take your time." He leans forward a bit and Mira is entranced. "Now then, might I ask… you are a dancer, correct?"

A quick nod, "Msth…" And she forgets to remove her hands from in front of her mouth. Gods, focus Mira! "I-I am." Oh, Liavio would not approve of this. "I'm on the elite team." Not with this specific performance.

He nods, "The elites? Perhaps if I followed in my mother's footsteps, then I would also be with you all." He comments.

"Men aren't a part of the elites." She bluntly states.

A small frown, before he smiles again, "Is that so?"

"It's… nothing against men. It's just that profits are at their highest when the elite team is all women." At least, that is how Mira remembers it… Liavio said something like that.

"I see… then perhaps it was for the best that I took my own path."

"Why did you change your mind?" She asks, curiosity rising.

His expression turns serious, "I had to fight in a war."

She looks him over, "How old are you?"

"Around… nineteen?" He guesses? "The point is that I had to stop practicing dancing and start focusing on combat. Though… that doesn't mean my time spent with dance was lost, as it actually translated quite well into my swordplay. My allies comment that my fighting style is like I'm actually dancing while I fight. Quick, graceful, and flowing movements… it makes it easy to dodge an attack."

"...huh. Oh, thank you!" And now it hits her on what she ordered. "Uh, sorry for the expenses, Laslow, I… normally come here with the rest of the team."

He chuckles again, "It's not a problem. So, I assume you are the most radiant of your group?"

"Oh Laslow, please… I'm a bit too tall, and I barely have any chest to show off…" Another flush. "Atsuna, Yserna, and our instructor… Liavio are all far more attractive than me."

"But do they have your smile? Your laughter?" He asks. "Mira, I can see a shine in you that I haven't seen in any other woman."

Mira crosses her legs, feeling a warmth building up throughout her. "Gods, Laslow…" She mutters.

"I'm only simply stating the facts, milady." He winks.

"Well, I…"

"Laslow!" A man dressed in the absolute highest quality of garments walks in, a sword rests on his side, but unlike Laslow's… this one has a literal aura of black and red around it, "Gods, there you are…"

"Ah, my liege." Laslow smiles. "I…"

"Pardon me, ma'am, I hope he hasn't been pestering you."

"Um… no sir? Laslow is a very nice man, I was enjoying my time with him." Mira honestly answers.

"Is something the matter?"

"You're late." Is all he said.

"Truly? Gods… my apologies, I…"

"Lost track of time while flirting with every woman?" Huh? 'Every' woman?

"No my liege, not this time, I…" 'This time'? Mira frowns. This is… normal for him? Mira blinks, Laslow flirts with… 'every' woman?

She looks down at her tea, then up to the retainer and noble, "**This** is normal?!" She finally asks with a surprising amount of force.

"Every town, every city, every woman. Every time he has free time." The noble confirms.

Mira narrows her eyes at Laslow, all warmth from the compliments are replaced with hurt and anger. "What are women to you, then?!" She raises her voice.

"Mira!" And in response, Charlotte… more or less, barged in. One quick look was enough to put Charlotte in defensive mode, as to her… Laslow had just hurt Mira's feelings.

"Charlotte?" The noble asks, "I remember you… I thought you were a border guard."

"I was, but now I'm employed by Mirande, one of Cyrnkesia's elite dancers." Pride fills her already considerable chest. "I… think I remember you?"

"Crown Prince Xander, next in line for the Crown. This is my… philandering retainer, Laslow." He regards Laslow with some contempt… but there's also respect. "He is one of the best swordsman I have ever seen, I only wish he'd place more priority into his training rather than his flirting…"

"Lord… Xander?!" Charlotte squeaks, then quickly bows, "My apologies I…"

"Spare the formalities, with all due respect. I'm here on a leisure trip." He states, then looks right at Mira, "For the monthly performance, actually. So… you are one of the elite? Which means you'll be performing?"

"Y-yes sir!" Mira slightly stammers, on one hand… **the** Crown Prince Xander is talking… to her. On the other hand… Oh gods, Yserna is going to be sooooooo jealous. An idea clicks, "Oh, oh! Um… Lord Xander?"

"Hm, yes?"

"Could I… have an autograph?" She quickly asks.

"An… autograph?" He echoes.

"For my friend, she really admires you and since she isn't here right I…"

He chuckles, "Sure." He reaches into one of his suit pockets… of course he has a pen on him. "Paper?"

Oh shoot… "Um, Charlotte?"

"I'm sorry, I don't carry paper."

"If I may?" Laslow offers.

"Thank you, Laslow." Xander nods, then swiftly writes his signature, "Her name?"

"Yserna."

"Very well…" No less than a few seconds later and he hands her the now-signed paper. "I'll give her, and your entire group my regards. I'm looking forward to your group's performance… have a good day. Laslow, we're leaving."

Mira looks down at the paper. 'Your friend, Mirande, asked for an autograph… I'll admit, this is my first one. So… to Yserna, I give you my best wishes… Crown Prince Xander.' Mira carefully folds the letter, then glances at Charlotte with a wry smile.

"Yserna is going to lose her mind." A pause, "I suppose something good did come out of this."

"So… Laslow?"

"He flirts with every woman! So, I was just another 'tick' to his collection!" Mira responds a bit loudly, "Treating women like some sort of past time… I knew it. Too good to be true. That explains why he was so good with the compliments." She shakes her head, "Anyway, let's see if we can find Yserna right quick."

* * *

**A/N:** Well, that was fun… what's that? You wanted Yserna's reaction? How about next chapter?

Anyway, I'll stop binging on this fic now and put some effort into the other ones.


	4. Oh My GOOOOODS!

**Dancers:** **Liavio**: The instructor and lead dancer… is basically Olivia from Awakening, just without the shyness. **Mirande (Corrin)**: Aside from her canon personality, there is a darker undertone to her behavior when she's alone… she's heavily concerned about her appearance, she's also slightly taller than the rest. **Yserna**: The second best dancer, next to Echo, who first found out about Mirande in the streets of Crynkesia… she hails from Izumo. **Atsuna**: The newest dancer, she's still adjusting to the stress of being on the elite team and can be shy. **Echo**: The best of the elite group, she's darker skinned, and the only real problem she has is her high metabolism, which keeps her just a bit too skinny.

* * *

**Namu Rosutoai:** Oh, I totally believe he was honest with his compliments… but I don't think most people would take to kindly to learn that someone casually flirting with other women in the same manner. So, unfortunately, that knowledge ruined the moment for Mira.

Yes! All royals will have an eventual appearance, and surely with the monthly performance coming around, we'll get to see a few more?

Benny is the gentle giant guy who is pretty bad at making normal conversation… just look up his 'C' support with his own child, Ignatius. Due to his large appearance and his silence, he also tends to have rumors to be spread around him… check out Elise's supports with him for that. Truthfully, he's a nice guy.

1] Same guy, the only difference is that both him and Charlotte were recruited from their canon border guard position to a retainer-like position under Mirande. I… honestly didn't want to make yet another two OCs for Mira's bodyguards. So yes, the other elite dancers have their bodyguards, but I just don't have the urge to give them their own bodyguards.

2] No, he's aware of his objective. This is far from his first time getting the 'stuff'. Mira refers to Benny on 'these' matters because of the curt responses and quickness to respond. I'd say Benny does care for her life, it's his job after all.

3] War? What war? Oh-ho, my dear friend… I don't think you realize how AU I'm going here. There will be **no** war between Nohr and Hoshido because Garon is very much within his own mind… As in he isn't Anankos's puppet.

The AU-ness will be revealed, somewhat… in the end A/N.

* * *

**Consort:** Ooo, yes! Though you might want to grab some earplugs before it happens…

Laslow did make for some nice conversations and moments for Mirande getting flustered… it's just seems most women don't take to kindly to have a man being a Professional Flirter, so his reputation ends up ruining those moments. Though, it's inspiring to see how he just smiles it off and bounds right back into it.

Besides… I got someone else in mind for Mirande.

* * *

Mirande walks alongside Charlotte, as the former is looking for Atsuna. Mira has Lord Xander's autograph in one of her pockets, oh… she's going to love this! Mira rubs her arm, hm… "I need to shave." She offhandedly comments.

"Again?" Charlotte asks, "It's only been about a week."

She shrugs, "I can't help it, that's just how my body is…" Mira frowns. "Atsuna hasn't shaved in like… months. It's like she doesn't grow extra hair at all."

Charlotte nods, "I can get that… I hate it when that hair just pops up. How does she do that? Any extra special treatment?"

Mira shakes her head, "Nope, she uses the same products the rest of the elite team uses, nothing extra."

"Hmph… I have to admit, I'm jealous." She huffs. "Could you imagine? Not having to shave?"

"Oh, that would be nice." Mira agrees. "But… I got the worst end of that and I have to shave more than others…" She pouts, then presses her hands onto her chest, "I wish my breasts would come out a bit more, too."

"I still think you are beautiful the way you are." Charlotte assures her.

"Aw, thank you…" Mira smiles, "Even if this stuff makes me more… 'guy'-ish?"

"You are as much of a woman as any other, Mira. You don't have a say in what your body does, but you can make the most out of it, and by the gods do you make the most out of your body!"

She flushes, "That means a lot, coming from a woman with a figure like yours."

"Oh, pffft… there are people who will stick their nose up at me, but why should I care what they think? They don't know me, I know me."

Mira nods, "I can get behind that thought process… so, I think I'm beautiful."

"And I believe you're beautiful. If some random guy thinks you look weird, that's on him… he doesn't know what beauty is."

"Or if they think I'm… 'guy'-ish?"

She blows a raspberry, "Doesn't matter, you're a woman… does Echo look 'guy'-ish to you?"

"Well no… but she has a bigger set of breasts than me…" Another look down.

"So?"

"That's a…"

"Plenty of women with flat chests." Charlotte cuts her off. "For every type of woman, there's a man who will find her attractive… or a woman, like Echo." She smiles, "Are you done being self-doubting?"

"What if…" Mira starts, but then stops with a giggle, "No, I'm just kidding… I'm fine now. Thank you, Charlotte."

"Hey, I'd recognize that figure anywhere… hey, Mira!" Oh look… Yserna.

Perfect.

"Hello!" Mira waves. "I've been looking for you, actually."

Surprise enters her expression, "Really? Hey, I don't suppose you've been approached by some smooth talker?" Oh dear, she looks upset.

"Laslow?" Mira comes off as a bit irritated. "Yeah, I thought he was pretty nice… until I figured out…"

"That he flirts with every woman?" Yserna gripes, "Exactly! Oooohh, that gets to me so much! See, I **saw him** get rejected by a woman, than he turns around and tries flirting with me, so… after I slap him for such a stupid move, I see him go and flirt with another woman… I hadn't even left the square! Gods, I **hate** men like that!" She crosses her arms, "Oh, sorry… I didn't mean to rant, it's just, ugh…"

"You… slapped him?"

"Oh I know, you don't like aggression, but…"

"Girl… you know he's a retainer."

"So?"

"His liege is Crown Prince Xander."

A few seconds pass and the color almost drains from her face, "I slapped… Lord Xander's retainer? Oh no, oh no… gods." Sorrow enters her voice, "He's going to think I'm some sort of brute! I'm… now I'm never going to even get a sliver of a chance for him!"

"Yserna, I…" Crying, "Yserna."

"**Hey, Yserna**!" Charlotte shouts.

"...yes?"

"So, near the end of that fake-date thing with Laslow, Lord Xander came to get him and…" She produces that paper, "I managed to get Xander to do something for you."

"For… me?" Yserna echoes, "What could…" She accepts the paper, opens it up and… "**Ahhhh**!" She screams, "Oh my gods oh my gods. Oh. My. **Gods**!" Without warning… though Mira was expecting it, Yserna throws her arms around the other, jumps up and down, and gives her the tightest hug she has ever experienced. "Mira. You. Are. The. Best. Friend. **Eeeevveeerr**!" Laslow is now completely forgotten, it seems, "What was he like? Did he stand tall? How was his hair? His…?" Well that… and Mira thinks she might have went temporarily deaf from her friend's near constant screaming.

"Hold on!" Mira giggles. "You just might have a chance to talk to him."

"No way, **no way**?! How? Where? **When**?!" One more tight squeeze, several kisses on her forehead and cheeks, and she finally lets go, though she's still bouncing in place.

"He's arrived to watch the monthly performance and…"

Thunk.

Yserna collapsed, letter clutched close to her chest. "Lord Xander is… going to be there?" She repeats over and over, her face mimicking a cherry.

"Hey, girlfriend… are you okay?" Mira asks.

"Xander's gonna be there, he'll be able to see me… I'll probably be able to see him, Xander's gonna be there…"

"Mira?" Charlotte asks.

"Yeah… hey, Yserna? I'm going to have Charlotte pick you up and carry you home, okay?"

"Xander's gonna…" She continues to repeat.

"...Yserna needs another lift?" Benny returns, a new bag on his person.

"Yeah… she's heavily daydreaming about Xander being at the performance this month." Mira nods. "Could you take her home?"

"Of course."

"And drop that 'stuff' by my house?"

"Consider it done."

"Thank you, Benny. I'll be returning to my house."

"You're welcome." And with that, Benny scoops her up and walks off. "Have a safe trip."

"So… what's next?"

"Go home, take a bath… and shave." And after Benny drops the 'stuff' off? Dull her teeth… Mira shivers, oh, that is going to hurt, like always.

* * *

_"Freak! Monster!"_ The others point and laugh, though some yell in mock-terror. _"Corrin's a mutant! You know that? Your parents left you because you're cursed!"_

All alone, an orphanage in some secluded village somewhere in Nohr. A place that only holds negative memories. Shunned, outcasted, insulted… the child, 'Corrin' was the commonly mocked one for her appearance. Pointed ears, sharp teeth, vivid red eyes. She would always end up trying to find a hiding spot, a place to call her own.

However, one day, when she was old enough… Corrin left. Took everything she could and ran away. In between the trip from the village and what would be her next destination, Crynkensia, she cropped her ears, but there was no numbing herbs this time, she filed her teeth, then used magic to change her eye color. It wouldn't happen again, even if she had to mutilate her own body. She donned a dress she pilfered, went with the name Mirande, and swore never to return to what she was.

Even now, when she wants her own 'Prince Charming', she's afraid. Is there truly a man in this world who will want her once the magic and make-up fade away? When her dress falls and they see the bare minimum in curves, chest and butt… are they going to turn and leave? What if her touch is too rough? There are so many things that could end up ruining her chances.

Mirande runs a hand across her body. Smooth, soft to the touch, but even despite not working out… she can still feel muscles. She tilts her head, looks in the mirror and cups her breasts, next to nothing. She turns to the side and runs a hand alongside her back and down to her buttocks.

Why does she even bother? She won't be able to bring magic and make-up to those parts and the second she undresses, it's over. She'll just stay as eye-candy when she's dancing with the others, she'll seem this dazzling beauty on stage, a gem like no other…

But she's never going to share her body with anyone. Mira grabs the towel and covers herself. She shakes her head and walks out of the washroom… time to go to bed.

* * *

**A/N:** Alright, it's been a few chapters, and since there won't be a Hoshidan-Nohrian war, I'm going to reveal some AU details that don't have a huge impact on the plot.

No Anankos or Valla, **but**! The Awakening Trio are still from Awakening, only this time they just happened through an Outrealm portal and ended up here, hence why Laslow still fought in a war… the war against Grima.

Mirande's parents… oof, nevermind I can't publicly reveal that. Her parents and childhood might be considered too spoiler-ish for some people.

And, of course, there is also the 'big secret' that Mirande mentioned two chapters ago.

Now then, we got to see another small glimpse of Mirande's past. So… yes, her name **was** Corrin, but now she took the name of Mirande and changed her appearance accordingly. We also know she lived on the streets before sneaking into the theater, then learning a dance in one watch, being seen by Yserna while dancing, and getting onto the team through try-outs.


	5. The 'Meat' of the Conversation

**A/N:** So, I was thinking on the Awakening Trio and the circumstances of them getting here, er that is… just **choosing** to use the Outrealm portal and happening to arrive in Fates and I thought, you know what? I could make a good chapter out of this… and a perfect chapter for a cameo, so… here ya go!

* * *

**Dancers:** **Liavio**: The instructor and lead dancer… is basically Olivia from Awakening, just without the shyness. **Mirande (Corrin)**: Aside from her canon personality, there is a darker undertone to her behavior when she's alone… she's heavily concerned about her appearance, she's also slightly taller than the rest. **Yserna**: The second best dancer, next to Echo, who first found out about Mirande in the streets of Crynkesia… she hails from Izumo. **Atsuna**: The newest dancer, she's still adjusting to the stress of being on the elite team and can be shy. **Echo**: The best of the elite group, she's darker skinned, and the only real problem she has is her high metabolism, which keeps her just a bit too skinny.

* * *

**Namu Rosutaoi:** *nods* I agree… you're thinking way too much into this. This is a situation where an unfortunate young girl was abandoned at youth, in a place where the others mocked her appearance, and has developed a fixation on making sure she's pretty.

She can hide some things with her magic… remember that she is self taught. A sort of irony would be that she **could've **used magic to change her whole body, but… she just wasn't ever properly trained and I don't think her Magic is that outstanding, and this lack of training is why she needs to crop her ears and file her teeth… she isn't skilled enough to cover it all with Illusion magic, her magic reserves aren't large enough to sustain a lot at once.

Well, I'm glad I'm getting the feminine topics covered well enough. I may have typed up a lot of females before, but I never really went into the stuff they do on a personal level… shaving, periods, and all that.

Now with all of that said, I can't help but ask...

'Devil Horn'... really?

* * *

**Consort:** *nods* Who could her parents be? Those people at the village she ran away from said it's because of her deformities that she was abandoned, but… that's **their** mocking, we never got to see Mirande's own thoughts on it. Or… maybe she was left there so young that she simply didn't have any memories? Either way, it has left her in a terrible upbringing and mental scars which might end up lasting the rest of her life.

Only that first time! Which… oof. I can only imagine how much she might've screamed when she did it the first time. Mira is sure to keep a steady supply of those numbing herbs now.

* * *

Mirande looks at herself in the mirror, and then at all of the colors set out. What color does she feel like, hm? Ooo, this part always gets her body going, a warmth… brave and daring like... red? Something formal and high in status like... purple? Calm like an undisturbed ocean blue? She licks her lips, then slides that tongue along her teeth… a bit rough, but not jagged. Just like they **should** have been. She shakes her head, no, don't think about that. The tough part is over and she won't have to touch that stone for at least another month...

Electrifying! Mira suddenly hops in place for a few moments, then picks out the bright-yellow. "Let's get a little spark in today, alright?" She smiles, then begins applying the yellow lipstick. Huh… she hasn't used yellow in a while. Like… a long while. Like…

Mira doubts Atsuna has ever seen her use yellow.

See the thing is, yellow is usually a bit too flashy for her, but today is just one of those days she'd like to stand out a bit more. Sure… purple and red are the top two 'royal' colors, Nohr and Hoshido respectively, but people just don't pick yellow that often.

She has a feeling she'll catch someone's eye today. A smile forms, then she grabs a slightly less bright yellow for her eyeliner. Maybe she should just travel around today?

…

Her almost empty coin purse protests that, but… just to look around. She nods to herself, just looking, no buying.

Stupid sharp teeth and pointed ears.

* * *

Mira exits her house, her choice of make-up causing the sun to reflect off of it a bit. Maybe she should've went without the glitter-style for her cheeks? Well, it's not like she put much.

Benny and Charlotte are by her sides, simply doing their duty right now. Other than Mira's choice of make-up, there isn't much to bring up. As such, the group of three traveled in silence through Crykensia's streets. Mira just looked around, eyes shining at all of the different stores and booths. This place is really coming to life, and she knows why.

The monthly dance is coming up, and that's what drives this city more than anything. Sure, the dance itself brings in a lot of gold, but do you know what else can match and even exceed that? The combination of inn usage, buying food, drink, trinkets, odds and ends… and spreading the word of the latest performance. This is the time of month that a tactfully placed stall could earn more gold than one of the higher-end restaurants. Gods, not to mention the ones that have the luck of being near the theater… **those** owners are probably rich enough to retire right now.

So, it's no wonder that the elite team can get stressed. In a way, the city's economic well-being rests on them. If there's an outstanding performance? Then expect an extra event, maybe discounts are offered. If it's botched? Well… the worst one that happened, way before Mira joined, maybe even before she was born, caused the city to close off several places until things got better. If she remembers right, it took about another four great shows before Crykensia was back on its feet.

Gods… and there's going to be royalty this time… **and** that royalty happens to be Crown Prince Xander, the focus of Yserna's true love… or at least a crush. Mira can't lie, even with that brief encounter, Lord Xander is very attractive, but she isn't getting the same level of 'ooo' as her girlfriend is. She honestly found Laslow more captivating… but that casual womanizing is a **huge** turn-off for her.

"Um, excuse me?" A… boy walks up to Mira. At least, she thinks this is a boy… the voice is a bit high pitched, but the biggest thing, literally, is that he has a robe on him that seems like it is several sizes too large. "A question, if you don't mind, ma'ams and sir?" This robe has… purple eyes stitched on it, though the material is clearly high-quality… silk, velvet and gemstones. His hair is a vivid red and he has both a bow and a sword on his person.

"Are you lost, young one?" Mira asks…

And he huffs, "With all due respect, I'm not a child! I'm… fifteen." He shakes his head, "My name is Morgan and I'm looking for a few… wayward friends."

"And they are…?"

"Dirty-blonde hair man, likes to shout out catch-phrases and speeches, name is Owain. Long-twin tails, a little duller red than mine, rough prickly attitude, name is Severa. Light-gray short hair, smooth talker and loves to flirt, name is Inigo." He summarizes like he's reading from a script.

"Huh… I've met a similar flirter, but his name is Laslow. Always smiling, and… very good with… compliments." She flushes. "Haven't heard of the other two."

Morgan sighs, "I wouldn't be surprised if they took up different names, too." He reaches into his robe and pulls out a notepad. "Inigo… maybe… Laslow." He mutters to himself. "Anyway, thank you for your time, ma'am." Notepad and pen goes back in and a sack of gold comes out. He reaches into the bag and pulls out…

Another bag? "Oh please, you don't need to pay for that."

He tilts his head, "Are you sure? Services rendered demand on-the-spot payments, and I would be doing my mother's family a huge dishonor if there's even one due left unpaid."

"Even if the person says no for the money?"

"Yes." He extends his arm, "Please, take it."

"Okay…?" She does kinda need gold right now. "Oh, my name is Mirande!"

"Mirande, hm? I like that name." Morgan smiles, "Well, thank you for your time, Mirande. Maybe we'll meet again before I have to leave." And with that, he walks away.

"So, that gold…" Charlotte starts.

Mira nods, "Some food would be nice." She looks at her friend, "Do you have anything specific in mind? I'm up for whatever."

"As long as it ends with sweets, I'll be happy."

"A steakhouse?" Mira suddenly asks. "Could probably use the extra protein anyway… ooo, then we can go to the bakery!" She looks at the bag, "Because by the gods, there sure is enough gold in here…" Seriously, a thousand or something gold for some information? He must be swimming in gold to just hand out that much. "To the steakhouse, then!"

* * *

It's been a while since she's visited this specific restaurant. The price is usually too high for what she likes to pay, but… since she's got gold to spare. That said, she portioned it off and carried a more reasonable amount in her gold purse, then handed the rest to Benny for safekeeping. Charlotte and Mira entered the steakhouse, while promising to order an 'extra-large' portion of steak and potatoes for Benny. "Just two." Mira says as she and Charlotte are guided to a table.

"Oh, hey! Mira! Over here!" Well, that was the plan, until Mira was waved down by Echo.

"Hey, Echo!" Path now redirected, Mira and Charlotte go over to her. "I'm surprised to see you here."

Echo tilts her head, "No, I'm surprised to see you here… I'm a regular here." Before Echo lies a portion that only Benny could possibly rival. Echo notices Mira's line of sight, "I told you girls… I've been eating large portions, a lot of fatty foods, but my body just burns right through it." She pats her exposed stomach… woah.

She's built.

"Maybe it's because of your Fire Tribe heritage?" Mira suggests as she sits down, Charlotte beside her.

"Ooo, what's your training regimen?" Charlotte asks, before showing off her own abs. "For someone who isn't swinging around an axe, you look really tough." She lowers her shirt back into place.

"That's because I swing around a mace, instead… but only to honor the Fire Tribe." Echo admits, "Which… is why I have a hard time building up any weight."

"You never said that to Liavio."

"Because I know what she'll say… cut out the training." Echo frowns, "I… can't. I respect my father, he's a great man… my father is strong, my mother is graceful. I want to follow in my father's footsteps… which would have me training as an Oni Chieftain… but I also want to be like my mother, which would turn me out as a dancer." She sighs, "To be honest, if I hadn't made it to the elite dancers, I would've given this up and focused everything onto an Oni Chieftain."

"Do you enjoy dancing?" Mira bluntly asks.

"Yes!" Echo exclaims. "Oh, I apologize… I didn't mean to sound like I'm not enjoying myself, because I am!"

"So… does it bother you? Your… uh, muscles?"

She tilts her head, "No way, why should it? I'm proud of my body, it shows that I'm from the Fire Tribe." She then **winks** at Charlotte, "Right?"

"You're right." Charlotte nods, then proceeds to look Echo over, "Besides, why should I let other people's opinions bother me…"

"They don't know me, I know me." Echo cuts her off.

Charlotte clicks her tongue, "Exactly. I like how you think."

A few moments were spent in relative silence so that Mira and Charlotte could order their meals… and so that Echo could have her second round. "How are you still hungry?" Mira asks.

"Oh, don't worry, I didn't get that much this time… though I know that if I don't order anything, then I'll be hungry once your food comes out." She shrugs.

"Oof, I know if I tried to eat that much, I'd burst." Charlotte giggles. "Though… we are going to the bakery after this."

"Sweets? Ooo, can I come?" Echo asks, "There's always room for dessert in me!" She spares a glance at Charlotte, "That sounds good?"

"Are you hitting on my bodyguard?" Mira states more than questions.

Echo smiles, "She can flirt all she wants, I'm not interested in women." Charlotte shrugs.

"I'm… flirting? I was just asking to spend some time with her." Echo tilts her head, "Going by that logic, that means you and Yserna are dating…" She trails off.

And Mira's face lights up, "We are **not** dating!"

"Really? You two sure spend a lot of time together." Echo advances.

"If it wasn't for Yserna, I'd still be on the streets!" Pain creeps up into her voice. "I've never had anyone reach out to me like that."

Echo backs off, "Oh, I'm sorry… I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, Mira. I was only teasing you." A pause, "I can't imagine you having it rough like that."

"I had a bad youth… grew up in an orphanage, a lot of the people there, not just the children, mocked me for my appearance." She sighs as she leans back.

"Heh, if I could, I'd beat them up for you." Echo giggles, but then Mira provides her with a flat look, "Oh right… you don't like violence. Listen girl… I can understand that, but there are also times where you got to stand up for yourself! Show them you aren't someone who can just be pushed around and stepped on. You are better than that, you can have beauty and strength!" A pause, "Alright, if you had the chance, what would you do? How would you prefer to show them they're wrong?"

"I'd show them just how beautiful I can be."

"Why? So they can find one minor flaw and pick at that instead? Mira… no matter how perfect you can look, those type of people will always find something to point out."

"And your solution is to beat them up?"

Echo shrugs, "It doesn't work for everyone, but that's not the point. I'm just saying that you should take a stand for yourself… like how Charlotte here does." Another wink.

Mira looks between the two women, then nods, "Alright… I'll try that at some point… thank you for the advice, Echo." A smile forms.

"Not a problem, girlfriend." Echo then leans forward to Charlotte, "So, how about that dessert later?"

Charlotte looks at Mira for a moment, "For a treat, yes… for a date, no."

Mira simply smiles at the exchange, oh… it's great to have friends.

* * *

**A/N:** So… this chapter was going to be more of a little trip with Morgan, but… it got out of hand and strayed too far from the overall feel of the fic, so I cut the conversation off, gave it an earlier finishing point, and sent Mira along. Oh, speaking of Morgan… guess who his mother is? I mean yea, it's M!Morgan, which would canonically mean the mother is Robin… but not this time! His father is Robin and his mother is…

I'm glad I switched it out from a Mira chatting with Morgan to Mira and Charlotte chatting with Echo.


	6. The (Wo)Man of Her Dreams

**A/N:** How about some development? A monthly performance, maybe?

Another one for 'Vanity'? "Hadronix... you said you'd work on more than one!" Uh... I did? I tried to? An 'A' for effort? *shrugs*

* * *

**Dancers:** **Liavio**: The instructor and lead dancer… is basically Olivia from Awakening, just without the shyness. **Mirande (Corrin)**: Aside from her canon personality, there is a darker undertone to her behavior when she's alone… she's heavily concerned about her appearance, she's also slightly taller than the rest. **Yserna**: The second best dancer, next to Echo, who first found out about Mirande in the streets of Crynkesia… she hails from Izumo. **Atsuna**: The newest dancer, she's still adjusting to the stress of being on the elite team and can be shy. **Echo**: The best of the elite group, she's darker skinned, and the only real problem she has is her high metabolism, which keeps her just a bit too skinny.

* * *

**Namu Rosutaoi:** That does sound… interesting. Nothing like shoving your hand down some girl's(?) pants and finding out there's a meat rod, am I right? Heh, anyway…

I… dunno, I just wanted to expand on the reason why the Awakening Trio are here, there might be a few more appearances here and there, but he won't be making an entire chapter… unlike how it was originally going to go. Oh! I agree, and I doubled over in laughter when Lucina and Lissa ended up getting the fully-voiced version of it in Fire Emblem Warriors.

A dancer… a person that would have high Skill, Speed, and Luck stats… except Echo, who also has a huge Strength stat!

*nods* I agree, this is a fic that is all but screaming for an appearance from Forrest, he would love to get together with Mirande and the others! Hey, maybe he could even be a character all of his own… so that Leo doesn't need to plant his Brynhildr into a woman for a child. But…

We'll see.

* * *

**Consort:** Ah yes, but something major… or something minor? Well, had I followed through with the original chapter, we would've known, but like I said… the original chapter was becoming too goofy and out of tone when compared to the rest of the fic. So, we won't find out why they are here until later. At least we can say it wasn't due to Anankos since, y'know… he ain't here.

Ooo yes, I'm loving these dancers, so many different backgrounds to work with! So yeah while Echo is from the Fire Tribe… er, at least her father's side, and it does show with her preference for beating things up, she also shows off her mother's side with a passion for dance. We already got to see Izumo's impact on Yserna, being incredibly open-minded and accepting of all walks of life… well that and her 'thing' with Xander, but what else could she have in store? We already know Mirande due to Corrin's canon for attitude, but there's also her past that we haven't quite fully explored, so… that really just leaves Astuna… which we only really know is from Port Dia, oh and she's shy.

* * *

Mirande looked herself over in the mirror, before applying just a bit more of her already-chosen light-blue make-up. The performances always puts her a bit on edge before they actually start, but she also always slides right into the rhythm once they do start… a bit of pre-show anxiety. She knows she'll do well, she's one of the elite dancers, after all. "Yserna, girl… how are you doing?" She suddenly asks.

"It's the monthly performance, I'll do fine." She assures her.

"Even if…"

"Nope, not thinking about it." She replies with a surprising amount of resolve. "A crush isn't worth botching a performance." Yserna turns and flashes a smile, tinged with her purple. "Atsuna, how's it going?"

"I-I'm… ready." She simply states, going over another layer of a deep-green. "I'm ready." She repeats. "I can do this."

"Take it easy there… Echo!" Yserna calls out.

A bold red is her assigned color… ironically. "Ready to make this our best yet."

"I hope so!" Liavio exclaims, "I know I don't have to say it, but it's another full-house." She clasps her hands, smiling the whole way, "Our Crown Prince isn't the only one here, either." The four dancers pause for a moment, "Oh yes, we have more Royals in the audience. Unfortunately… there's no King or Queen to go with them, but…"

Don't mess this up, no matter what. Is what the unspoken implication is. "How many?" Mirande asks.

"We have two of our Nohrian Royalty with us, Prince Xander Prince Leo, and… both Princess Sakura and Hinoka of Hoshido." She giggles. "Now, get your finishing touches ready, we got about half an hour!" She twirls in place, before skipping out.

"A total of… four Royals?!" Atsuna squeaks. "Gods…"

"We'll be fine, girl." Yserna assures her.

"Yeah, focus on the dancing, and we'll come out on top." Echo nods. "Hey, who wants to go out for some sweets after we're done?"

"Uh… you can." Yserna flushes, "I'm going to see if I can give Lord Xander a private session." She starts giggling.

"Girlfriend, you have no shame." Mira comments.

"What? I just mean like… a cup of tea and a dance we've done before."

"I-I'll join you, Echo." Atsuna says, "Mira?"

Mira pauses in the middle of brushing her hair, then reaches out towards the mirror. "I'm going to be too tired after this." She lies.

"Mira…"

"I stayed up last night." Another one, "I guess knowing that there were going to be Royals kinda of unnerved me a bit."

And to her surprise, and maybe she should've expected it, Yserna comes over and pats her on the shoulder, "That's right… it's your first time with Royals in the audience, isn't it?"

"How many times…?"

"Commoners, Nobles, Royals… in the moment, they're all the same." Yserna crouches down with a smile. "Focus on us, the dancing. If you're going to worry about the crowd, do that afterwards." A quick squeeze on her shoulders and a brief kiss on her cheek. "So, when we get out there, who all matters in the moment?"

"Us, the dancers." Mira nods. "My friends and I." She then giggles. "Thanks, girlfriend." A bright smile forms on her face. "And we've got a monthly show to do!" She pumps a fist into the air.

"Alright! There's my girl!" Yserna joins in, "Echo? Atsuna? Are we ready for tonight?!"

"Ready and waiting." Echo crosses her arms.

"We've got this!" Atsuna cheers.

* * *

"Alright everyone!" Liavio's voice echoes out in the theater. "I'm delighted to see so many faces here tonight, and I think I can even pick out a few recurring ones!" She clasps her hands, "Welcome to Crynkesia's monthly performance, where our best will show you their best… for one of the best times of your life! Now! Before we actually begin, I'd like to point out that we not only have a full house, but also **four** members of both Hoshidan and Nohrian royal family with us tonight! Crown Prince Xander and Prince Leo of Nohr. With Hoshido, we have Princess Hinoka and Princess Sakura!"

Mira looks from on the side, out of view from the crowd. Her heart is racing and she feels a flush forming. "Whew… it's always that first glance that gets me going." She breathes. Atsuna is going through another round of stretches, probably more to occupy her mind than actually readying herself. Echo is content to just standing to the side. Yserna is as calm as Echo.

"And now, let's welcome our ladies!" Liavio announces after about another minute of getting the crowd 'ready'. "Our first was born all the way from over in Izumo, please welcome… Yserna!"

"Here we go, girls!" Yserna winks as she goes out into the spotlight.

"Our second has her origins rooted in the Fire Tribe, please welcome… Echo!"

"I'll make you proud, father." Echo mutters as she parts way.

"Our third is a legend of her own, starting in the streets and ending up with the best… Mirande!" Mira slightly flushes at the start, but quickly composes herself as she comes onto the stage and, gods… It never stops being breathtaking. Mirande bows once she takes her place. Breathe in, and back out. It's time to shine! "Last, but not least, is our newest addition. From Port Dia, please welcome… Atsuna!" A few seconds pass and she, maybe a bit too quickly, rushes out to take her spot on the stage. She then waves at the crowd, her face turning quickly red. "Hoshidans, Nohrians, Cyrnkensians… and everywhere else, I… Liavio, bring our elites to you!" She steps to the side, "Please, enjoy yourselves!"

Another half-minute of applause, before things finally settle down. "We got this, girls." Yserna says, moments before the music starts up. "Remember, it's just us right now." One, two… three, and four. All other lights in the theater are snuffed out, leaving only the stage lights. One, two, three… Yserna takes the lead, followed by Echo, then Mirande, and finally Atsuna. However, the spotlight quickly turns from Yserna to Echo, whose bold-red color is demanding the most attention. Yserna is close behind with her more royal purple. Atsuna is beside Mira, deep-green combining with light-blue, respectively.

Spin, twist, twirl, dip, and leap. The four girls go through the routine as smoothly as any practice. Because for them, it's just them. Four women, doing what they love, with people they love to spend time with. They're dancers, but also close friends, who lean on each other for support. Mira's body fills with warmth as the pace picks up, love and joy filling her up…

She wishes she could find a man who can do the same as this, to be held and loved. A more relaxed smile forms on her face as she falls into the rhythm. Just… pure bliss.

Hop, switch positions, another dip, a bow, hands and arms connect for a more complex spin that requires support. Though, Mira could feel Echo's arm tingle with a different type of satisfaction when their skin met. Gods, she's so… hot. Like, literally hot. Well, to be fair, she has Fire Tribe heritage. Echo flashes her a smile, oh yeah…

It's clear she's interested in women.

Mira flushes under her intense gaze.

Break off, switch again, and now she's with who is probably the closest of her friends, Yserna. "How's it going, girlfriend?" Granted, she didn't actually speak, but Mira knows her well enough by now… her very expression can speak entire paragraphs. Mira responds with, "I'm loving it." Through a true smile. A second complex spin, break off, switch…

Atsuna is just barely shaking, but Mira can tell she's in the moment. "Relax, girl." Mira whispers. "It's just us, remember?" Mira spins Atsuna a few times, before pulling her close and dipping once.

"R-right." She whispers back. Atsuna spins Mira in return, a short hop, then release.

Back to their original positions, the music speeds up. Yserna moves forward, alone. Being the most… pronounced of the four, she'll get a short session to herself, and whew… she's sure to make sure that all those potentially interested get to pay extra attention towards the… bouncing bits. Echo may or may not be sparing some glances of her own.

Yserna backs up and the four girls close in together for one last portion, dancing incredibly close, one slight twitch could cause them to fall, but… they don't. They're the elites, the best of the best. Legs and feet just barely cross paths. Mirande can just barely feel the warmth from the other girls. Arms interlock as they line up, then legs connect to finish off the line. One, two, three…

A final, deep bow and hold. The music stops, the applause starts. "Great job… girls." Yserna comments as they remain down for a few more moments.

"Whew… I feel kinda… woozy." Atsuna admits.

"Barely broke a sweat." Echo suppresses a laugh.

"A bit tired, but I feel so great!" Mira states.

And then they rise. Sweat rolls down Mira, but she doesn't care right now. "And there we have it, everyone!" Liavio returns to the stage. "Our elite dancing team: Yserna, Echo, Mirande, and Atsuna!"

"Um, girls… I actually feel…" Atsuna staggers.

"Just a little longer." Yserna urges.

"Cramp?" Echo asks.

"No, it's… different." She coughs and…

"Liavio!" Yserna harshly whispers. "Atsuna, hold your breath for a bit!"

Their leader took one side glance and noticed the fresh, bright red addition to the floor. She claps her hands once, "Alright, everyone! We'll hold our after-show meetings soon. We'll see you there! Lights!" She nods, but not to the audience.

Yserna is the first to break rank, followed by Echo, on either side of Atsuna, making it seem more like they're simply walking together, rather than actually supporting her up. Mira soon follows. "Atsuna, dear?" She asks the second they're out of sight. "How long?"

"Just… started up." Atsuna heaves over a sink and spits, more blood.

"Gods, what's going on?" Concern lines Liavio's tone, "Atsuna, darling… Medic!" She exclaims. "Are you hot? Sick?"

"I… don't know!" She cries out, "Near the end, I just started to feel… woozy." Another cough, some more blood.

"I'm here." A healer rushes in.

"Check Atsuna, she's coughing up blood! Hurry!" Liavio exclaims, "Mira, Echo, Yserna, I'm going to need you three up front. If anyone asks for Atsuna, she had to leave to deal with personal matters."

"Yes, ma'am!" Yserna is the first to respond, "C'mon girls, she's got a medic, let's go."

Mira takes one look back, "Be safe, girl." She flashes a reassuring smile, before moving ahead. Oh gods… what is wrong with her? Did that slight shaking earlier have something to do with this? She shakes her head, not now, there are still things to do…

And by Yserna's new and intense flush, Mira knows exactly what, or rather who she's thinking of.

* * *

Mira stands with Yserna and Echo as the first set come to visit for the after-show, reserved for the more notable guests, whether it be royalty or those who paid the extra gold for the same privilege. "Oh my gods oh my gods…" Yserna starts muttering as Lord Xander arrives.

"Calm down there, gi…" Mira starts, but then makes eye contact with another one of the group, well there was only two Princes so… that must be Prince Leo? Oh, gods… **That** is… Prince Leo? Mira can't explain exactly what he has that is grabbing her attention, but gods...

"C'mon you two! Snap out of it!" Echo harshly whispers as the Nohrian Princes come up. "Greetings, Crown Prince Xander and Prince Leo." She says.

"H-hello, Lord… Xander." Yserna slowly states.

"I'll admit," Prince Leo starts, "I originally only arrived because my big sister, Camilla, couldn't find the time and begged me to attend, but… I suppose I needed the break more than I thought." He bows, "I'm truly impressed by your performances, ladies."

"I'm… glad you enjoyed it, Prince Leo." Mira tilts her head. "Hopefully you'll attend again?"

"Gods, you two!" Echo exclaims. "Please, pardon them, they're usually not this… distracted."

Yserna's gaze snaps towards Echo, then forms a wry smile, "You're just jealous you haven't felt the lure of a man."

"Excuse me?" Lord Xander asks, causing the woman squeak.

"Brother, it seems she has a crush on you." Lord Leo chuckles and Mira feels like her legs just gave out some.

"At least I'm not the only one." Lord Xander notions towards Mira, Lord Leo looks towards Mira…

Mira's face flushes and her breath catches. Oh, it's not fair! There's no way he'll… "That was a lovely performance, milady." Oh, now this has to be a dream, right? A joke? "Perhaps we'll meet again one day?" A cruel dream… he gently grabs her hand and places a single kiss on it. Nope, not a dream.

"I'd love you!" Mira exclaims, "No wait! I m-mean I'd love to! **To**!" Oh gods, just let her faint. "M-Maybe some tea? Or…?" Lord Leo chuckles.

Oh, given that response, he was just teasing her, then? She should've… "Tomorrow, then?" Mira's eyes snap up, "You are a very beautiful woman, Mirande. I would be honored to join you for tea."

"Uh… Mira?" Echo asks, nudging her. "Yserna?!" She then crosses her arms, "Seriously, you two!" The two Princes share a look, before shrugging off any awkwardness…

Oh, it's alright, they must be used to swooning women, then. It makes sense, they are royalty, after all, they must have women falling for them by the dozens, right? "Have a good day, ladies." Lord Leo takes his leave.

"Enjoy yourselves, dancers." Lord Xander leaves.

"I think I just fell in love." Mira absentmindedly comments. "Girlfriend? I think I felt what you feel with Lord Xander."

"I know, right! Ooo, now you get it!" Yserna exclaims. "How does it feel? Are you weak in your knees? Feels like it's hard to talk?"

"Or you just end up saying something silly because the right words don't come out?!" Mira nods, "Oh my gods, that was **so embarrassing**! How did I mess that up?! I mean, gods… 'I'd love you'? What kind of statement is that?"

"**Hey**!" Echo stomps her foot, "Focus! We got more coming! Don't you dare leave me hanging this time!" A moment passes, then Yserna and Mira take a breath to steady themselves, "Thank you. Now then…"

"Heya, I'm Princess Hinoka and this is my little sister, Princess Sakura." Yserna snickers and nudges Mira, then subtly notions at Echo. Mira notices Echo's newest expression.

"Hey, Echo? 'Don't leave us hanging', okay?" Mira comments.

"What? I'm not daydreaming like you two were!" She snaps back.

"Uh…?" Lady Hinoka starts.

"That was a lovely performance!" Lady Sakura exclaims, "It was as every bit as wonderful as I'd imagined… and then some!"

"Yeah, she wanted to come for a while now, but royal duties has the rest of the family tied up and she didn't want to come alone so… I made some time." She nervously chuckles, "It might have involved a few 'accidents', but I did it."

"Um, wasn't there…?"

"Atsuna." Mira nods, "She had personal matters to attend to, so unfortunately she isn't here right now."

"Is that so?" Lady Sakura frowns, "I really wanted to meet her, she seems so… peaceful, uh! Not that I think you don't, it's just… oh gods. I'm sorry, I'll just stop now."

"Lady Hinoka?" Echo asks, "You train with a lance, don't you?"

"I'm… not much on all of the Princess stuff, so yeah. I train with a naginata in my spare time. I'm surprised you noticed." She looks her body over.

"It's in your stance, how you hold yourself. I train with a mace, myself." Echo boasts, "Maybe you'd like to spar one day?"

"Heh, you're on." Hinoka chuckles.

"Echo has a crush…" Yserna rolls her eyes. "I'm glad to have met you both." She bows. "Please, enjoy the rest of your night."

"You too!" Lady Sakura bows. "I'm looking forward to the next time I arrive! And… I really hope that Atsuna is doing well!" With that, she departs.

"Hold on…" Lady Hinoka sighs. "I'm looking forward to that spar… it's not everyday someone disregards my royal status for a brawl." She smiles, "I like that about you, Echo. See ya!" She rushes off to catch up to Sakura.

"So, Echo… how does Lady Hinoka make you feel?" Mira prods.

"I don't have a crush. I don't stammer around and make myself look like a fool." Echo huffs.

"But… do you like her?" Yserna asks.

"..." Echo flushes. "Next group."

"You know we're going to ask again after…"

"Yes! Lady Hinoka is absolutely hot! Are you happy?!" Echo snaps back. Oh, well then.

That was blunt.

* * *

**A/N:** Oh, oh my… that's not exactly the finishing act we were expecting, right? I mean, that was a great performance, but poor Atsuna… what could have happened? A sudden woozy feeling? Coughing up blood? Do be alright, dear girl...

Well, at least on the brighter side of things… we got three crushes? Yserna is all for Xander, Mira fell for Leo, and Echo is eyeing Hinoka. Hey, maybe Mira will start daydreaming now? Heh...


	7. Midnight Stroll

**Dancers:** **Liavio**: The instructor and lead dancer… is basically Olivia from Awakening, just without the shyness. **Mirande (Corrin)**: Aside from her canon personality, there is a darker undertone to her behavior when she's alone… she's heavily concerned about her appearance, she's also slightly taller than the rest. **Yserna**: The second best dancer, next to Echo, who first found out about Mirande in the streets of Crynkesia… she hails from Izumo. **Atsuna**: The newest dancer, she's still adjusting to the stress of being on the elite team and can be shy. **Echo**: The best of the elite group, she's darker skinned, and the only real problem she has is her high metabolism, which keeps her just a bit too skinny.

* * *

**Namu Rosutaoi:** Heh, can you blame them? Though, that is quite the idea for a scene, all of them just daydreaming together…

Oh, that was glorious! I can only imagine her embarrassment… "I'd love you!" Talk about just wanting to faint after such an error in speech.

Hm, well… I'm sure Atsuna will be fine. She has a very good healer working with her, and as an elite dancer, she has access to some very expensive and high-quality help. Aw, come on… Sakura and Atsuna? *shrugs* I got nothing against them being together. Heck, my favorite female pairing for Sakura was founded on Youtube… I think the user is UnassumingVenusaur, Sakura/Elise, why? Because it's so cute and it fits their relative youth. I kinda died from the cuteness when Elise asked to do something brave… something daring! And that request?

Let's hold hands!

Heh, the irony there. One moment, Mira and Yserna are swooning over the two Princes of Nohr, the next Echo is getting flustered over Princess Hinoka. How was she supposed to know? Trust me, that just might be a point that these girls are going to tease Echo on.

* * *

**Consort:** Yeah… it's a very good thing she was able to keep her composure for just a few more precious minutes, and that Liavio was able to wrap up the performance a bit early without causing an uproar, it sounds rough but… as already stated, the elite dancers can't afford to make a mistake mid-performance, they're the best of the best, and those people are surely putting a lot of gold to see them on stage. If Atsuna started coughing up blood during the performance, well… yeah.

Just a few, I was going to include more, but I decided that hey… not all of them are always going to have free time, right? Well that and I'm also sure that not all of them are going to personally want to go out of their way to see a dancing performance… it's just not for everyone. In fact, I'm sure that Camilla probably goaded both Xander and Leo to go for some relaxation. I could see Sakura as wanting to go, and Hinoka went more just to keep a big sister eye over her.

* * *

It's currently the middle of the night, but Mirande is unable to sleep. An upcoming tea date with… Lord Leo? Gods, the thought sets her mind racing, her body heat soaring up. After talking with Yserna, this is the same thing she feels. Honestly, could this be love at first sight? She literally just **looked** at Leo and felt that warmth. Her body perks up and starts reacting to all of those gentle touches, soft words and…

Forget it, it won't happen.

She can only imagine how many women must've already felt the same for Lord Leo, she can only wonder how many potential suitors he's turned away, and that's just it! He probably already has had dozens of suitors, woman with status… power. What can Mira offer him? A good dance? The dress will drop and he'll turn away. If she's lucky enough to get a single night, then that's probably all she'll ever get.

Worry brings worry and now Atsuna's condition enters her mind. Why did she suddenly start coughing up blood? If she was just dizzy, then maybe Mira wouldn't worry that much, since it could be a more common sickness… but blood?

Mira gets up, deciding she just can't settle enough. Her body is immediately greeted with a breeze of cold from the lack of covers. Though thankfully, from her earlier thoughts about Leo, she is at least a bit warm. She glances at the bed, oh… how she would appreciate someone to hold at night. To wake up in the morning to, share some touches, a kiss or two, and just… exist with someone to love.

Whoo! That brought in some needed warmth to her parts. With a small smile, Mira walks over and grabs some clothing… undergarments, a bra that she probably doesn't even need to use, some light pants and an equally light shirt. Make-up? Mira bites her lip, she rarely goes outside without being properly tended to.

_"Freak! Monster!"_ She shakes her head, no! She's… she's beautiful. Pretty.

She tightens her hand into a fist, no… today. Tonight, she'll go without. Mira nods to herself and takes a breath. She's pretty, she's desirable…

* * *

"Mirande?" Charlotte asks the second Mira comes into view, "You alright?"

"I couldn't sleep." She admits.

"Do you need some sleep aids?" Benny asks, all too familiar with some of her issues. Erm, he doesn't know **why** she has what she has, but Mira has requested such products before.

"I'd like to walk around." Mira states. "Charlotte? Benny?"

Charlotte yawns, "It's awful late, isn't it? Uh, not that I have a problem with it."

"I'd suggest against it, Mira." Benny sounds out.

"Is something wrong?"

"The usual, it's simply harder to protect at night. It's more difficult to see, there are people who are highly specialized in hiding in shadows." He sighs, "But, if you truly wish to, then we'll be by your sides."

It's true. Crykensia may be a neutral city, and it may be well funded and defended… threats can still find a way in. Thieves, assassins, and the like. Mira, being an elite dancer, has a fair target on her as well… she's well known, and there are probably a number of people who'd like her all to themselves. However, there is also the part where there is also royalty currently staying in the city, which obviously raises the chance there might be something underhanded going on. Royalty will be a much higher target than an elite dancer.

Still, if something happened to an elite dancer, than Crynkensia as a whole will feel the impact. Again, while the theater may be a great source of income, it's the monthly dance that sends the profits through the roof. The more people that like the dance, the more that will want to stay… more inns will be rented, more food will be bought, the word will spread, and next month will be just as good, if not better. It all builds onto itself into a massive growing ball of profit.

There's a reason why Crynkensia's net worth can rival one of the two major capital cities.

"Yeah, I'd like to walk around." Mira decides. "The major canal intersection, maybe?"

Charlotte nods, "Alright, I gotta admit, that does have a lovely view at night, doesn't it?"

"Let's go." Benny states.

"So… Mira? Nervous?"

"I got a date with a **Prince**! Of course I'm nervous!" Mira whispers. "Well that and I'm still really worried about Atsuna. Do you think she's alright?"

"She's got the best healers Crynkensia can offer… I think she'll be fine." Benny assures her.

"She'll be fine, friend." Charlotte nods. "There's no way Liavio would let anything happen to her… to any of you, if she had a say in it."

Mira nods, "You're right… Atsuna will be fine." Mira sighs.

"Mirande…" Charlotte tilts her head, though the walk continues in silence. Mira is looking almost everywhere except ahead, while her bodyguards are keeping an eye on almost every single direction possible.

_"Nobody loves you! Not even your parents wanted you!"_ Mira frowns. _"Corrin's a freak! A monster!"_ No, she's pretty… beautiful! A **Prince** wants to have tea with her! How much more proof does she need? Before or after he leaves her? No! Mirande shakes her head, past experiences coming back strong.

"Mira!" Charlotte exclaims after Mira stumbles, "Girl, what's wrong?" She quickly moves to stable Mira, then brings her into a hug. "Hey, sh…"

"By the darkness of my own… be banished!" Magic flares into the air, a man screams and falls flat on his face. Benny has his lance and shield out the next second, while Charlotte is holding her battle axe in one hand, and her other arm is still wrapped around Mira. "Ah-ha! Another! Thunder!"

"Quiet, you buffoon!" Another one harshly exclaims, "We can't hunt down these criminals if you're announcing our position to every rat from here to Windshire!"

"Uh… sorry." From one of the alleyways comes two men, an archer and a dark mage, going by clothing alone.

"Oh, oh my… hello there." The Archer smirks, "I hope we haven't bothered your walk."

"Names, business. Or leave." Benny stands between them.

The archer tuts, "Now now, I'd suggest pointing your impressive girth somewhere else. Don't you know it's a crime to attack the innocent?"

"I am… Odin Dark! Magical retainer to Lord Leo! This is Niles… an archer." Wait… dirty-blonde hair, a flair for drama…

Is what Mira would be thinking on, if Odin didn't mention Lord Leo. "Y-you're retainers to… Lord Leo?!" She asks, instead.

"Oh my, I believe we stumbled across Lord Leo's special woman-friend." The archer smirks, "Hm… I can see why you have our liege crumpled into a stuttering mess when he thought he was alone."

"L-Lord Leo was…?" Mira starts.

"Oh yes, red as a tomato, fumbling around while trying to pick out the right suit." He sounds so confident about it, to where Mira wants to believe he's telling the truth.

"Niles! You were spying on Lord Leo?"

"Hm? Oh no, I was simply watching over him, as any retainer should." Niles's smirk hasn't left. "Believe me, Mira, don't let his calm facade fool you… he is quite head over heels for you."

"He… he is?" Mira flushes. "Oh gods…"

"Mira?" Charlotte asks.

"I'm perfect…" She lazily responds. "I'm not the only one flustered over this…" Niles raises an eyebrow, Odin rolls his eyes, Charlotte is keeping Mira from falling, Mira is caught within her daydreaming, and Benny remains stoic and on the look-out.

"You spoke of criminals?" Benny asks.

"That's correct, Benny... once of the Border Guards." Niles replies. "Oh, and don't feel so surprised, I have dirt on **many** people." Benny seems unbothered by it. "Just like the lovely Charlotte here, also from the border guards."

"Mira offered us a better position." Charlotte states, "Everything about being her bodyguard is better."

"Oh? Now how about this tidbit… where could have Mirande come from, hm?" Niles leans in a bit, "That charming pink-hair woman was quite right, Mira… appearing from nowhere. No history, no recordings… nothing."

"Perhaps your sources are just old and outdated." Charlotte spits out. "Don't worry about where…"

"She came from? Oh-ho, my dear lady… I'm afraid that out of all of you, I do have to worry where she came from. She **is** going to date my liege, after all. I need to make sure she isn't from some… long-term rival of Lord Leo, someone…"

"Mira isn't like that!" Charlotte rounds on him, "You've said enough, now leave!"

Niles rolls his eye, "Anyway, yes… I was out patrolling the streets, making sure the number of criminals stays low, happy?"

"And you leave your liege behind to do this?" Benny questions.

Niles chuckles, "He also has an entourage of guards with him. Besides…" He outright glares at Odin, "I was to do this **alone**, therefore… if our liege gets hurt, it's on your head, Odin."

"I needed to make sure that you didn't run into any creatures from beyond the veil of the void!"

"With your… schtick, you're more likely to bring in **more** creatures than deter them." All the while, Mira is still in her own little world, faintly muttering about Leo. "Anyway, I should be on my way… never know when you might run into a bald-headed serial killer brandishing a **very** sharp axe."

"Uh, pardon?" Charlotte asks.

"Oh, didn't you know? Hans is on another killing spree." Niles says with such a calm voice, like he's stating it's about to rain. Niles offers a salute that is lacking in any sort of actual respect, "Have a good night." Niles, almost literally, disappears into the night.

"I shall… return to my liege, then." Odin turns around and leaves.

"Hans…" Benny echoes. "Heard of him."

"Hey, Mira?"

"Lord Leo… likes me." Mirande mutters. "He wants to date me."

"I think she's ready for bed now." Charlotte states.

"Works for me… I'll take the first watch this time." Benny nods.

"I was ready to take the next…"

"Are you complaining about extra work?"

"...I suppose a nap would do me good." Charlotte concedes. "Alright, let's go back to Mira's house, then."

* * *

**A/N:** Aw, poor Mira… having a sleepless night due to her upcoming date with Prince Leo. At least it was a pretty peaceful walk… oh wait. Well, no random ambushes or anything like that. Instead, we got to see Niles and Odin!

And Mira going into another day(night?)dreaming the second Leo became the topic. But, was Niles telling the truth, or was he doing his usual bout of teasing? I guess we'll find out next chapter, but first…

What is this? A reference towards Hans? Could it be that Hans… isn't captured? Oh dear, well… Nohr is a big place, so there's no way he's near Crynkesia, right?


	8. He's GOT to be the One!

**Dancers:** **Liavio**: The instructor and lead dancer… is basically Olivia from Awakening, just without the shyness. **Mirande (Corrin)**: Aside from her canon personality, there is a darker undertone to her behavior when she's alone… she's heavily concerned about her appearance, she's also slightly taller than the rest. **Yserna**: The second best dancer, next to Echo, who first found out about Mirande in the streets of Crynkesia… she hails from Izumo. **Atsuna**: The newest dancer, she's still adjusting to the stress of being on the elite team and can be shy. **Echo**: The best of the elite group, she's darker skinned, and the only real problem she has is her high metabolism, which keeps her just a bit too skinny.

* * *

**Dandaman5:** I'm here for questions! And the answer here is… it's **not** about draconic heritage. Mira grew up in a village where the people singled her out for her appearance. It wouldn't have mattered if she was half-dragon, half-Wolfskin, half-Kitsune, or even pure-human, those people mocked her because she was simply different. Mira became scarred from that, and a need to fit in and look beautiful became part of her. She was alone out in that village without anyone to comfort her. She doesn't even know her parents, so for all she knows… those people are right, in that her parents abandoned her because of her appearance.

* * *

**Namu Rosutaoi:** If we're to believe what Niles is saying, then yes. Though usually, the best lies are the ones webbed together with truth, so personally, if I was the one reading this… I think Leo is somewhat nervous for the upcoming date and he does want to look his best… I don't think he's scrambling around with a flustered face.

Odin's a good guy, he means well… he just needs to stop going about his speeches so much. Oh… **Oh**! Ophelia Dusk… *sighs with contentment*, she's wonderful, isn't she?

Ooo yes, Niles brought in some nice thought points, hasn't he? Is Leo that flustered? Was he truly unable to find a contact that knows where Mira came from? And that last tidbit about a 'bald-headed axe wielder', hmm...

* * *

Mirande awakens with an incredibly relaxed body and one satisfying stretch. "Mmm…" She hums as she rolls over. Oh, that had to be one of her best sleep ever. She discards the covers and… huh? Why is she clothed? She blinks her eyes as she gets up, oh right! She went for a walk and then…

Mira flushes and she lets out a squeak, that's right! By the gods… Lord Leo, according to Niles, is head over heels for her! With a sudden spring to her step, she all but dashes over to the bathtub, undresses in record time, and starts up the water. Before getting into the tub, she grabs her best scented products… the stuff normally used for the monthly performances. Ooo, but what colors for this date? Her mind races as she gets into the just warmed water.

Should she stick with the performance and go with a light-blue? Maybe show off more respect towards Nohrian Royalty and use a deep purple? Mira's skin develops goosebumps as she washes herself, indecision quickly slipping in. However, one wash-over isn't good enough, so she scrubs herself down a second time. This has to be perfect! She has to be perfect! Giggling, she exits the tub, dries off and… gods, which color?! Oof, and which set of clothes? Dealing with the nudity first, she grabs her best non-dancing dress, a very eye-catching oceany-like color, primed with sparkles, very small gems, and laced with gold and silver. This is a dress she bought because it looked very pretty, but it's one of the dresses she has yet to wear…

Until today!

It had to have been fate to get this dress, oh! Ocean-blue dress calls for equally light-blue make-up! Lipstick, gloss, eyeshadow, blush, she goes through the details like she would the monthly performance. Oh gods, because this is bigger than a monthly performance… this could be a once in a **lifetime** chance! She needs to use the best of everything she's got! Mira smiles at her reflection, then slips on her stockings and high heels. Alright girl, this is it…

Time to woo a Prince!

* * *

Mira is essentially bouncing from step to step, something that brings a smile to Charlotte's face as she and Benny do their normal duties when escorting her to the frequently visited tea shop. "Are you ready?" Charlotte asks, probably more just to talk than anything.

"I am? I am! I mean… I look right, great?" She looks herself over, "I mean, I look great, right?"

"Steady yourself." Benny rumbles out. "Take a few deep breaths."

"Yeah, I mean… you obviously went so far as to look like you're doing your monthly performance, so… you look absolutely divine!" Charlotte flashes a smile, "So, just focus on being the open and loving Mira that the dancers and I love you for!"

"Right, right." Mira gives in with a beautiful smile and a slightly more relaxed form, "I'm ready. I can do this." More silence follows as the walk continues. Mira looks around her, observing the scenery she's seen so many times before. It never ceases to be beautiful, at the least. Due to the recent performance, there will be renovations soon. At least the stonework won't need any repairing, the buildings overall seems to be well off right now. What could the gold be used for this time, then? She's thinking that there'll probably be a festival this time.

Then again, while Mira has lived here for almost all of her life, she isn't too sure what all people want most in a city. She's an elite dancer, and dancing is what she does, she isn't like… a city organiser or something. Well, she knows a lot of people like the tea shop she visits regularly. The major canal intersection is another popular spot, but that's free to come and view. Mira shakes her head, this is far from her expertise.

"Have fun, Mira." Charlotte 'reminds' her, "Do relax."

She breathes in, then back out. "Alright, I got this!" Mira exclaims, "I'll be back soon." She enters the tea shop… and despite arriving early, Lord Leo is also in here. "Prince Leo!" She calls him out as she approaches, then offers a quick bow.

"Mirande." He's wearing an incredibly high-quality suit, proudly showing his Royal bloodline. Purple and black are the colors of choice. He has an black outer coat with gold trims, though that is currently on the back of his chair, then there's the main buttoned shirt, a rich and light purple. He also has a tie on, which is striped purple and black. His lower half is primarily obscured by the table, but she can assume the same color scheme. His hair has been brushed down very neatly and she can even pick up the faint scent of a very enticing cologne. "Here." He rises from his own chair, then moves one for her. Ah-ha! His pants are also a dark purple, and his dress shoes are pure black.

"Thank you." She smiles as she sits down, then he pushes the chair back up some. "How was your morning, Lord Leo?"

He chuckles, an immediate warmth spreading through her. "Well…" He starts as he sits back down, "After making sure that Niles had something **else** to do, it was rather peaceful. And yours?"

"A bit frantic?" She pats her dress, "I wasn't sure what to wear."

He clicks his tongue, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you had that dress made by one of the royal tailors." Suddenly, his gaze feels a lot more intense.

"Oh, oh no… I got this from the rare goods stall… on impulse." She shies away, "I couldn't help it, it was so eye-catching and I…"

"I think you look beautiful in it, Mira." He smoothly compliments with this smile and…

Oh my. "A-and you look… very h-handsome, Lord… Leo." She flushes. "Though, you're probably used to this kind of wear, aren't you?"

A smirk, "And if I said no?" Yet, before she could respond, "I'm not, actually. None of the royals really walk around in the… custom-fitted clothing. Father tries to promote a slightly more casual look, as to more… oh, what was it?" A short pause, "To make us seem more… approachable? I think?"

She licks her lips, "Well, I think you seem 'approachable' right now." Thankfully, the server comes by, because **whew**… Mira feels like she needs a little breathing room. She hadn't expected for Lord Leo to feel so… powerful.

"Ah, hello Mira." She greets with a smile, "The usual?"

"Yes, please."

"Ah, you're a regular here, then?" Lord Leo comments. "Hm… how about something spiced, with some kick? Do you have any ginseng in stock? With some mint?"

"That we do, Prince Leo." No notepad necessary for this woman, she's worked here for pretty much all of her life. Mira would know firsthand, she can go through the entire menu from memory. "Would you like something sweet to counter it?"

"No thank you, ma'am… here. In advance." **Thunk**, almost like how Morgan just handed Mira a sack of gold, Leo just hands the server nearly thrice the payment it would have costed.

"Oh… oh! Thank you, Prince Leo!" She smiles. "You are very generous."

"I like to support local businesses." He shrugs it off. "Besides, it always seems as if the servers are the ones that go underpaid. Do take care of yourself." With that, she walks off, leaving Leo and Mira alone, well not literally since they are in a tea shop and there are other people here, for a bit. "So then, you enjoy this particular spot?"

Mira startles, "I do! This is the one that the girls and I always go to!"

"Is there a specific reason…?"

She hums, "It's the closest one to the major canal intersection."

He raises an eyebrow, "I'm assuming there's some sort of significance for that?"

"It's a beautiful sight to see, moreso at night, but the daytime view is still very pretty." Mira sighs, "Especially when the sky is clear and all of the stars shine down onto the still water and…"

"Perhaps you'll show me one night?" He asks.

She squeaks, "M-M-Me? I, um…"

"Is something wrong?"

"It's just a… r-really romantic spot and…" She gulps, whew, it's so **hot** in here!

"I don't see anything wrong with that." And how is **he** remaining so calm?! "Are you uncomfortable in my presence?"

"What?! No! Of course not! I love your presence! It's so… commanding." She sighs, oh how she desires his touch.

"Is that so?" Another raised eyebrow, this time while sporting a flush.

"Yes…" A smile, she leans forward.

"That's a rather bold request, then."

She blinks her eyes, confused, "Huh?"

And now he's confused. "To want my touch?" Tick tock…

Mira's face turns completely red, "Wh-what?! I… oh, gods, I thought I thought that and…" She covers her face with her hands.

"Mira?" He gently asks.

"Yesph?" She responds through her hands.

"Can I see your face again?"

First, she looks through her fingers, then she pulls her hands away, face still quite red. "I'm sorry, that was so blunt and…" She stops, as for why?

He gently grabbed one of her hands. Mira's heart rate just skyrocketed. "Perhaps, but I found that quite refreshing."

"R-really? I mean, I wasn't even thinking and I was caught up in my head and I thought…" He kissed her hand.

…

**Prince** Leo just kissed her hand. "Mira?"

"I'm perfect…" She sighs as she leans back, her hand still in Leo's.

He chuckles, "If you say so…" A few more perfect moments in silence, even as the server brought the requested food and drink. It was a more comfortable silence, the kind where you can just sit there and stare at the other's eyes and everything just feels… right. Tea sipping, small sweets, and just… staring at his beauty.

Which also makes this the perfect moment for something to happen.

It started with some raised voices outside. Leo immediately stood up, though with enough grace to keep things from being knocked over. He reached into his suit and pulled out a… book? No, despite being a trained Mage herself, she can feel the raw power coming out of it. "Lord Leo?"

"Please, stay here, Mira. I sense a… source of… tainted Dark Magic." And then the doors open.

"Milord?" Niles calmly asks. "I believe that Odin here managed to sorely anger some child." He seems amused.

"I am **not** a child!" Wait, Mira recognizes that voice.

"Morgan?" She asks as she rises.

"Odin!" Leo calls out, to which his retainer dashes in, a livid Morgan behind him.

"Yes, milord?"

"Explain."

"He's an…" Odin starts, before Morgan bonks him on the head with a… rolled up paper?

"O**wain** here…" Morgan starts.

"Not here, Morgan!" He pleads. "Milord, I, uh…"

"Owain?" Leo echoes.

"A childhood nickname." Even Mira can tell that's a lie.

Leo sighs, then puts his tome away. "Morgan, was it?"

He nods, "Yes sir. Son of Robin and Anna."

He then glances at Odin. "We will speak about this later. Until then… Morgan? Feel free to rant on him, somewhere **else**. I have a date with a gods-gifted woman right now." Mira would've heard Odin's complaints and Morgan's snarky comments, had she not focused one part of that statement… 'gods-gifted woman'. Oh, oh… it took every last bit of her willpower to not fall over. "Mira?" He turns her attention towards her, "Shall we visit that canal location?"

"U-uh… sure." She smiles, then her face resumes its redness as he takes her by the hand and starts walking. "Lord Leo? Did you really mean…?"

He chuckles again, oh how she loves that sound, "Of course I do."

"Even if…?" She looks down at her chest.

"Why should that concern me? Mira, looks only get you so far. When I'm complimenting you on your beauty, I'm speaking of the woman I see before me. Your friends think very highly of you, the people who know about you love you and your constant positive nature. **That** is what I love about you, Mira… your personality, your care for others."

"Oh, Prince Leo…" She lazily replies. Oh, this must be fate… it has to be fate.

* * *

**A/N:** Aw… how adorable! Ooo, what a day to have, hm? A date with a Prince, going to the tea shop, and having your hand kissed! It's only a shame that it had to have been interrupted… by Morgan? Oh dear, it seems like Odin is getting an earful from him **and** that Leo's allowing it so he can spend the rest of this date with Mira!

Speaking of Morgan… I'd like to go into a little side-story that will go through and have a sort of lead up to events on why the Awakening Trio are here. See, I've been wanting to do it for a while, but the problem is that I can't get it to fit the theme of the fic, so… it would either be a really out of place chapter or a one-shot fic that is set within this one.

Anyhoo, I'm really eager to continue this Leo/Mira pairing we got going on here… maybe even go out and explore if Yserna is getting similar luck with Xander… and Echo with Hinoka… and if Sakura's interest with Atsuna is simply due to peaceful or something more. Mmm…

Hold on, I think this is my first real dive into a slower-style romance. Huh.


	9. Like a Calm Ocean

**A/N:** So, Mira's date with Lord Leo turned out pretty well. I wonder what's next?

* * *

**Dancers:** **Liavio**: The instructor and lead dancer… is basically Olivia from Awakening, just without the shyness. **Mirande (Corrin)**: Aside from her canon personality, there is a darker undertone to her behavior when she's alone… she's heavily concerned about her appearance, she's also slightly taller than the rest. **Yserna**: The second best dancer, next to Echo, who first found out about Mirande in the streets of Crynkesia… she hails from Izumo. **Atsuna**: The newest dancer, she's still adjusting to the stress of being on the elite team and can be shy. **Echo**: The best of the elite group, she's darker skinned, and the only real problem she has is her high metabolism, which keeps her just a bit too skinny.

* * *

**Namu Rosutaoi:** Or at the very least, detached from reality for a few seconds. I mean, she did end up saying something she thought she thought… oof, the English language is weird. I've used 'had had' before, but I never used something like that and it still be a completely valid statement. Erm, anyway… I'm normally not into standard romance myself, since beastfolk usually skip that and go straight to the breeding. Erm, but yes… best of luck to the rest of those girls!

Yep, and it's all good. I tells yee once, and I tells yee again… take your time. Relax. Don't feel like you gotta reply to something the second you see an update. Trust me, knowing that you're reading it is good enough, I can wait.

* * *

**Consort:** I wonder how you came to those conclusions as well… *shrug* So, like… Mira and Leo are having their date and *suddenly*, uh… Grima? Heh.

Hopefully! It looks like Leo has taken a real liking to Mira. Makes ya wonder how the other dancers are getting along…

Oh yes! Let's see if we can get a closer look on their little stunt soon, right?

* * *

Short breathing, slow movements, gentle touches, Mirande lies on her back as Prince Leo traces her skin with his hand. A kiss here, a rub there, his touch ignites her skin as she squirms in place, wanting more. Gods, he's so desirable, she reaches out, placing a hand of her own onto his chest, oh the warmth. He leans in closer and plants a kiss on her waiting lips, mmm. "L-Leo…" She moans and squirms, rubbing her still-clothed thighs together to spark more need.

"Yes?" He breathes, a smirk formed as his hand continues to rub her skin, under her shirt. "Did you need something, Mira?"

To stop teasing her! But, that's not what she actually says, "I need you." Is what comes out, instead… a whimper.

"And I'm right here." A knowing and… quite hungry look crosses his eyes. Yet he still holds back.

"I want to… feel you." She flushes, suddenly too embarrassed to actually state what she **needs** to feel.

"Mira…?" A hand drops lower. "Mira." He repeats. "Oh, my…"

* * *

"Mira! Hey, Mira!" Tap tap, Mirande is, more or less, struck by an open palm. "Wake up!"

She groans and rolls over, pulling the blanket closer, "...a dream." She mutters, before leveling her first ever glare at Charlotte, "What?!"

"Liavio called for a meeting." Benny states. "Up."

Seriously? The night she gets such a… oh gods, wait, what?! A meeting… two days after a performance? Oh, that's not good, that can't be good. "I'm up, I'm up!" She bolts up, and by the time the blanket struck the floor, she already had her set of clothes in her arms, "Enough, bath?" She scrambles.

"It's past lunch time, Mira." Charlotte informs her, "So… no."

Wait… "It's past lunchtime?! I… slept in!"

"Well, you didn't have anything else planned." Charlotte supplies as Mira dashes into the restroom, and performing the quickest swap of clothing anyone on this world has never seen… because the door was closed.

"**Makeup**?" She yells from inside the restroom.

"You should be fine!" Charlotte exclaims.

A few seconds later, Mira pops out, with one of her less… well, the dress choice could've been better, but she literally grabbed the first one she could. A light scent of peaches is around her. "Do I look good enough?" She pats her dress down. "Wait! I'm still in my slippers! Um…" Benny clears his throat and tilts his head. Mira's face pales a bit, "Don't have time for that!" She quickly bites back. "Tonic?" He reaches inside of his armor and hands her a glass vial with a rather potent blue-liquid… something to temporarily increase magical potential. "I did that a week ago, how?!" She gripes as she pop the cork to the vial. "I'll stick with my slippers, then. Can we go?" With a grimace, she downs the vial in one go. Ugh, gross! Still, the effects take hold and she waves a hand to, uh, 're-magic' the spots.

"Ready when you are." Charlotte nods, while Benny simply lets out a grunt of approval.

"Good, then let's get over to the theater." Gods… what could have happened to have the lead dancer call a meeting so soon? It isn't the new dance routine, since the dancers always get a week's reprieve.

* * *

Crynkensia itself is in a relatively relaxed state, just like it normally is after the initial rush of visitors has ended. Sure, there are some people who traveled to see the monthly performance who are still here, but a fair number has also left. So, it's a pretty calming vibe. Nothing seems to be wrong with the public, and even a simple glance to one of the long-term shopkeepers shows that they are quite content. So, maybe Mira was just overreacting? Oh gods, what if…

What if Lord Leo is there?! Mira squeaks, her face flushes, and Charlotte raises an eyebrow at her. "Is Prince… Leo there?" She asks.

"We don't know, Mira. We just got the message that Liavio wants a meeting." Benny quickly replies, to which Mira nods, slightly calmed down.

Alright, maybe it's not Lord Leo, so what else…? "H-Hello, Mira!" And from her side comes none other than…

Atsuna! "Hey, girl!" Mira readily greets her, "You're looking a lot better!" An open hug is offered and accepted. "You had us worried! What happened?!"

"I had a… reaction." She frowns, her voice dropping a bit. "I'll tell you all after we get together, alright?"

Mira nods, "I can get that." A short pause as they walk, "So… Liavio called us together…"

"I know… I'm afraid it has something to do with me." Mira was going to immediately counter that, but Atsuna has a valid point. Maybe someone caught sight of her coughing up blood? Hm… that does seem like the most valid reason. Atsuna has recovered, so Liavio calls a meeting. "What do you think?"

"Well, there's also the chance it might be related to the Royals who were here." Mira tries to stay positive.

"Royals… oh!" She suddenly claps her hand, her face lights up with a huge smile, "Princess Sakura visited me! Girl, you will not believe how much of an experienced healer she is! She even gave our best healer several run-arounds!" She giggles. "It's like she looked at me and knew exactly what was wrong oh oh And after I was all healed up and ready to go she took me out to a nearby noodle shop and we shared a meal oh and she has the most dedicated retainers I have ever seen and Hana the samurai is so nice and friendly while Subaki the Sky Knight has the most keen eye because he literally pointed out which batch of noodles would be 'perfect' and girl let me tell you he was right because I never had such a delicious bowl of noodles before in my life!" She stops when she remembers that she's a living being… and living beings need to **breathe**.

Mira simply hugs her, "Well, it sounds like you've enjoyed yourself yesterday."

"Oh, I did! I wish you were there!"

"Well…" Mira pulls away, "I can assure you that I had a wonderful day, yesterday… I had a date with Prince Leo." She puffs her chest out.

"Really?" Atsuna gasps.

"Yep, we went to the tea shop we always go to! And oh, he was so… wonderful!" Mira sighs.

"Could it have been as wonderful as being in a secluded room with Prince Xander and showing off a dance?" Yserna sneaks up. "Guess who got to have some one-on-one time with the Crown Prince?"

"Yeah well, guess who had a date with Prince Leo…" Mira.

"And who got to spend time with Princess Sakura!" Atsuna.

"Hmph…" Echo strides up with… bandages and wraps across various points of her body?!

"Echo! Are you okay?!" Mira gasps.

She smirks, "Y'know, I thought I was pretty well-trained… but then Princess Hinoka 'got serious' and I got my butt handed to me. I mean, it was over… just like that. She doesn't fool around."

"So, all of that…?" Yserna starts.

"Is from Lady Hinoka absolutely conquering me, yes." Echo nods.

"Does it hurt?" Atsuna steps a bit closer.

"Eh, a bit sore, but that's really it. She had me healed up by one of her retainers… Azama, I think? I dunno, he seemed kind of like his head was in the clouds, or something." She rolls her shoulders, "So, I'm just in the last bits of the recovery stage… soreness." She then shrugs. "I'm used to it."

"So… do you… **like** like her?" Yserna raises her eyebrows.

Echo opens her mouth, closes it… and opens, "Yes, I do." A flush forms. "I knew it just by looking at her that she was strong… but I didn't expect that she would be so skilled that she literally floored me in seconds."

"Don't be so embarrassed, Echo." She adds, in a more serious manner. "I'm interested in Lord Xander, Mira is interested in Lord Leo, and Atsuna enjoyed her time with Lady Sakura."

"Two of those are a male and female relationship… and Atsuna just had fun with Lady Sakura." She huffs…

"So, this is about being attracted to a woman, then?" Mira asks.

"Girl, I already told you, there's nothing wrong with that!" Yserna exclaims, then pulls Mira into her arms… then reaches for Echo with the other. "If you wanna love a woman, then go love a woman." Her gaze sweeps between the two, and over to Atsuna for good measure, before finally coming back to Echo, "If Lady Hinoka is interested in you, then she's interested in you." She lets go, "I don't see why society keeps putting this… 'taboo' on same-gender relations."

"Were there a lot of them? In Izumo?" Atsuna asks.

"You bet! Like I said, Izumo supports all walks of life. I've seen males with males, females with females, three-way relationships with men and women, by the gods… some of the most caring parents I've seen prefer the same gender! They would go out and adopt children, even teenagers… some even raised ones who lived on the streets in other villages or towns." Wow, she's very passionate about this. "Everyone is beautiful in their own right, and everyone deserves someone to love. **That's** the way it should be." She clasps her hands, her face adorned with a full smile. "Now, shall we hear what our divine beauty of a leader has to say?"

With an upbeat spirit like that? "Of course!" Mira pumps a fist into the air, "Let's do this, girls!"

* * *

The four elite dancers walked to the front stage, and then behind the huge red curtains. Mira glanced at the spot where Atsuna had her issue… and it's like nothing was ever there to begin with. She looks back up ahead as they round another corner and into the main room where they prep. Liavio has already set up a number of chairs… **eight** chairs? Liavio sits at the 'head' of this formation, flanked by two chairs. Yserna sits on one end, followed by Mira, Atsuna, then Echo, leaving yet another empty spot. "So, girls…" Liavio starts. "How was your mornings?" She smiles, before flashing a concerned look at Echo.

"Woke up sore, but if you need me to dance, I can dance." Echo assures her.

"I had the. Best. Dream. Ever…" Mira slowly says, "I didn't wake up until like… right as Charlotte and Benny got the message to get me."

"You slept past lunch?! Yserna exclaims, then clears her throat, "My morning was very delightful…" and she leaves it at that.

"Lady Sakura offered me some herbs to help for the night, and they provided the best dreams I could have ever wanted…" Atsuna breathes in, and lets out a sigh.

Liavio giggles… two out of the four dancers are now in a partial daydream state, while Yserna is teetering on the edge of that. Echo is the only one who's remaining composed… mostly, a keen eye can show that there is a bit of daydreaming going on. "Alright girls, the reason I called you all here is actually some news!" She claps her hands. "You can come back in now!"

From one of the side rooms, a woman walks out. Her hair is… actually the same color that Mira used during the recent performance, a light-blue… like the ocean. However, unlike all of the other dancers, her hair, even with a headband bunching up some of her hair, reaches all the way down to her **legs**. "Hello all." She bows, her voice is almost as if she is currently singing. "My name is Azura."

Liavio nods, "Girls, this is our newest member… Azura!"

"Hey! My name is Yserna!" She quickly rises and extends her arms, "It's great to have you! Gods, is your hair natural? Because, whew… that is impressive!"

"Yes, actually…" Azura flushes, "It's nice to be a part of it."

"My name is Mirande, but my girlfriends and others call me Mira." Mirande offers a quick bow.

She nods, "Greetings, Mirande."

"I am Atsuna, I, well… I was the newest member, but now you are!" She nervously giggles. "So… welcome!"

"Well thank you, Atsuna."

"My name's Echo." A more stiff greeting. "Glad to have you."

"Erm, hello… Echo." In response, she pulls back a bit.

"Now then!" Liavio clasps her hands, "I'm sure you girls noticed the chairs beside me, well… I was having a small little meeting with the theater managers…" She glances the group over, "Don't worry, Atsuna, your error went unnoticed. See, the reason I called you all here is because of Azura…" She pauses for a moment, "She didn't join to… dance, per say. Well, she is here to dance, but she wanted to offer another talent… singing!"

"Ooo, singing?" Yserna is quick to ask, "A beautiful voice to add onto our dances? I think that'll work wonders!"

Mira nods, "I agree!"

"That sounds beautiful…"

Liavio nods, "But that's not our decision." A frown forms, if but for a moment, "I managed to convince the theater managers to try it out, so… next week, we will be repeating last month's dance, with a song that matches with it." She breathes in, "Azura? Like I told you, I think it would be for the best, but it's not my choice. If you were joining as just a dancer, than I could approve you. Beyond that? I can only enforce the rules I've been given."

"I understand." Azura nods.

"We'll get you on here." Echo states. "Your voice sounds very nice. I think it will mix well."

"See? We all trust you, Azura. You'll be a wonderful addition!" Atsuna smiles.

"Remember girls," Liavio starts, "You aren't pleasing an audience this time… you're trying to sway the opinions of the people who run this place. They are very set in their rules, rules that I don't completely agree with, but…" She trails off.

"Like not letting men be an elite dancer?" Yserna asks.

"I'm aware of Laslow's skills." The leader nods. "I've been aware of them."

"Huh, you have?"

She giggles, "Is that so hard to believe?"

"Yes, actually, because…" Yserna starts, but then each and every elite dancer noticed something off…

"He had a date with you." Echo bluntly states.

"Yes, he did." She admits, "And we danced together for almost three hours." She giggles again, "Don't worry, it wasn't advancing to anything significant."

"Heh, you shot him down?"

"No… he said I reminded him of his mother." She tilts her head, "Like, the only difference is that I'm… not shy."

"Huh." Mira says.

"Excuse me, ma'am?" Azura asks, "Is there anything else I need to know?"

Liavio thinks for a moment, "No, actually. But, if you ever need anything… find me, or one of my girls here."

"Then I…"

"Hey!" Yserna cuts Azura off, "So, as far as we're concerned, you're part of the team, so… yes, there's something you **need** to do!" She openly smiles, walks over, and places an arm over her shoulders, "How does some tea and biscuits sound?"

"Pardon me?"

"We got a tea shop we regularly visit." Echo supplies. "Want in?"

"I…"

"It'll be fun!" Atsuna nods, "We can chat, play some small games, gossip…" She sighs.

"And maybe daydream." Mira admits.

Azura looks at each of the elite dancers, before an amused smile forms, "Very well, I suppose it would be for the best that I get to know you all better."

"That's the spirit!" Yserna pulls away, then goes to grab Mira's hand. "C'mon girls!"

"They're lively, aren't they?" Liavio asks Azura as the others start walking, "Azura? I really hope you can change those people's minds… I would love to see you perform with us."

Azura nods, "I think I would love to, as well." She then waves, "I'll see you later." With that said, she hurries up to walk with the rest of the elite dancers.

* * *

**A/N:** Well then… I suppose we all could've guessed that the very first part was a dream, right? I mean, c'mon… sex after a single date? What do you think this is… a one night stand? Erm, anyway, after being awoken from her very pleasurable dream, it turns out there's a meeting!

At least the meeting turned out to be positive, right? Atsuna's plunder went unnoticed, and now we got a potential new addition to the team… Azura! But wait, what is this? No mention of 'Lady' or 'Princess'? Could this Azura… not be a Royal? Hm…

Also, there has been a slight shift and a small focus placed on the *redacted* topic. I wonder why…?


	10. Daydreams and 'Past Times'

**A/N:** Alright, so now I got like two different side things I wanna do, but my mind's like, "Nope, main story." So, yeah… sticking to the main storyline.

* * *

**Dancers:** **Liavio**: The instructor and lead dancer… is basically Olivia from Awakening, just without the shyness. **Mirande (Corrin)**: Aside from her canon personality, there is a darker undertone to her behavior when she's alone… she's heavily concerned about her appearance, she's also slightly taller than the rest. **Yserna**: The second best dancer, next to Echo, who first found out about Mirande in the streets of Crynkesia… she hails from Izumo. **Atsuna**: The newest dancer, she's still adjusting to the stress of being on the elite team and can be shy. **Echo**: The best of the elite group, she's darker skinned, and the only real problem she has is her high metabolism, which keeps her just a bit too skinny.

* * *

**Namu Rosutaoi:** Well, she is in canon, but like I (didn't) type, there was no mention of Royal or even noble status, so… yeah. Ooo yes, go Azura! Show them higher-ups that you should totally allow a Songstress on the dance team… then we can expand on to have male dancers.

Ha! Had I more in me, I would've extended that scene to make it even more believable, but… sadly, it was just a dream. Hey! He could've totally made it to the bed in one night!

Y'know what? I think I will. I got three other OCs (not including Liavio) and I could totally start putting some chapters with them as the focus. Why not?

Yes, Benny and Charlotte do know more than what we all first assumed, but! Like a retainer, it's not part of their job to openly ask. They have their rules and directions, and they follow them. I mean, c'mon, especially Benny! He's the one going out and getting numerous pain-killing herbs and grindstones, he may even be getting those scissors sharpened! I know he has to be intelligent, so when he catches a glimpse of a rare 'vulnerable' scene like this, he can put two-and-two together.

Yaaay! I'm so glad that you are! Oof, that temp, though. :( I don't like the heat, I much prefer colder temps. Ah, yeah, I can get that too. Heh, plot twist: I knew you were about to go into the hotel, so I posted the chapter!

* * *

**Consort:** Just wanted to throw this out there... hope you're having a great day ;) Are you ready for some plot points? Because I got a few that'll throw you and the others in for a loop...

Get your feels ready!

* * *

The normal group of four girls has increased to five, and while Azura had tried to keep some distance, probably just because she's new… Yserna wasn't having it. She gently grabbed her by the arm and made sure she stayed with the rest. "So, Azura?" She asks while they are walking over to the tea shop. "Where are you from?" She pats her chest… which still sports the most prominent of breasts, "I was born and raised in Izumo."

Azura tilts her head, looking almost as if she didn't even understand the question. "Yeah, with hair like that, it's easy to see you must be like, a very rich noble's daughter." Atsuna nods, "Keeping that much clean and well groomed? That must cost so much."

"I… am, actually." Azura mutters, her voice a lot more solemn than earlier, "I'm…"

"Hold on." Yserna cuts her off, "I can hear it in your voice. Girl? If there is **ever** an uncomfortable topic, let us know, alright? I'd never want to have you talk about something you don't want to talk about."

A smile forms, "Thank you, Yserna." Atsuna reaches out and taps Azura, "Hm?" The once-newest member of the group leans forward and whispers something… Mira can see her shaking slightly. "Oh… so you know what it's like…" Atsuna nods.

Yserna glances at Mira as Azura slows down a bit to stay in pace with Atsuna. "So… Lord Leo? How was he?"

A flush forms and Mira quickly moves over to her best girlfriend's side. "Only if you tell me about Lord Xander."

"I'd tell you about him, regardless." She rolls her eyes. "So…? Did he hit the right spots with you?"

"He's so…" Mira trails off, already becoming increasingly close to becoming… "Ah!" She squeaks as Echo nudges her sides. "Uh, thanks." She sheepishly smiles.

"Don't need you walking into a wall." Echo states, sending a 'Because I know you did' look over at Yserna, who looks away.

"Well, we had our tea shop date." Mira resumes, "He's so nice and thoughtful and… he told me he's more attracted to my personality, rather than my looks."

"Attracted?" Yserna echoes, a smile on her face. "Ooo, so he's interested?"

"Girl, please… let me finish." Mira flushes at the thought of Lord Leo… **wanting** her like that. Oh, oh… like that dream. "Ah!" Another squeak. "I'm focused, I'm focused!"

"...on your daydreaming." Echo smirks.

Mira huffs, "But… our date was sorta interrupted."

"Aw… Royal duties?"

"No, one of his retainers, Odin, was visited by a concerned friend, or something." Mira shrugs, "It was hard to wrap my head around. "Lord Leo calls him Odin, but his friend calls him Owain and apparently he's really far away from home without telling anyone but two other people that traveled with him and…" Mira shrugs. "Anyway, that came and gone and, get this… we went over to the major intersection!"

"Oh, how romantic… at night?"

"Oh, I wish. No, during the daytime."

Yserna giggles, "Well, it's still a nice place to visit, night and day have their perks."

"He kissed me." Mira adds.

"No way!"

"On my hand." She nods, "And he did it so slowly and giving me this loving look and… nope! I'm focused!" Mira manages to avoid a third prod.

"On the hand? Ooo, how refined." Yserna smirks. "A true gentleman. Anything else?"

"That's… it, actually. Because then he did have duties to attend to." A brief frown crosses her face. "So… Lord Xander?"

Yserna giggles, "So, after we left, I walked around the city and happened to run into, ugh… Laslow." She groans, "I… apologized for slapping him, then asked if he knew where Lord Xander was." A short pause, "So, after that… I managed to meet him! I offered to show him a previous monthly dance and a second one that I had choreographed just for him."

"You thought of a dance… just for him?" Mira asks.

"Huh? I didn't tell you?"

"No…?"

"Oh." Yserna shrugs, "I thought I did, oh well, anyway! When we got back to his room, I got to do my dances." She gasps, "Oh, you should've seen his look, how it never wavered. The sternness, but a tinge of gentleness. Ah!" And now she's a victim of Echo's 'daydream killing jab'.

Who shrugs, "Someone's gotta keep you girls on track."

"Yeah? And what's gonna happen when you're the one who's daydreaming?"

"I don't daydream!" Echo snaps back.

Mira smirks, "But those muscles? The dedication to protect? I wonder how it felt when she helped you up? What kind of perfume was she using? Did her voice make you swoon? Did…"

Echo twitches, "She's drop-dead sexy, alright? Can we leave it at that?"

"Nope." Yserna pops the 'p' in that. "I want to see our stern Fire Tribe girl flush and squirm."

Locked between two gazes, Echo sighs. "She's very tough, but I can still get the Princess vibe from her. She can also be very gentle, like when she was bandaging my wounds. She has this determination in her eyes that makes it seem like there's an inner fire when she talks about things she loves. The concern that showed when she finally got serious and I was pretty much slammed onto the ground. I felt my own skin spark up when she kept me from falling over that one round. Her body is very warm and wanting." A pause, "I love her… happy?"

"Aw, that's so romantic, Echo!" Yserna claps. "Thank you for sharing that with us!"

"I'm so happy you found som…"

"Before or after she weds a man? She doesn't want me like that." Echo cuts Mira off with a pained voice. "She's royalty, it'll be more important for her to have children."

"This again?" Yserna asks, "Girl, if she wa…"

"I can get that concern." Mira speaks up. "Yserna, she isn't worried that Lady Hinoka won't return her feelings, she's worried that because she's a Princess, she might be forced into an arranged marriage."

"Exactly." Oh, gods… Mira can actually spot a bit of sparkle in Echo's eyes. This really is hurting her.

Yserna opens her mouth, then closes it… finally at a loss for words. "Maybe you two can… elope? I'm sorry, Echo… I totally misunderstood you."

"It's… alright." Echo shrugs it off, despite the pain she's showing, but given how she also stepped away a bit, the topic is dropped.

"So, girlfriend… the rest about Lord Xander?" Mira asks.

Alright, maybe only Echo and Mira really dropped the topic, as Yserna is still deep in thought. Mira tilts her head, then sighs. Maybe that tea and sweets will help everyone out?

* * *

"Oh, Atsuna? About the… thing that happened?" Mira asks after she sips from her mint tea. "You had a… reaction?"

Atsuna hops in place, startled by the sudden question. "It… goes back to my childhood." She replies, some pain entering her voice. "Can I… tell you girls something?" Her voice drops.

"Absolutely! And we won't say a word about it." Yserna picks up with extreme ease.

"You can trust us, girl." Mira smiles.

"I'm always open to listen." Echo nods. Azura simply shares a concerned look.

"My… I'm actually, in part… from a high-ranking noble family in… Nohr." She retreats slightly into her chair, holding her tea cup close. "Father is, at least, but… mother didn't wed, she was a…" tears form, "She's a 'treat' for him and she got pregnant. She… she told me it was because she was given 'bad herbs' that were supposed to be… contraceptive. F-Father didn't want children from 'her', and she was removed from the house. She ended up living in Port Dia, where I was born. She… she tried her hardest to raise me, but… the only thing she was really good at was… being a prostitute for father." By now, Atsuna is constantly shaking, sniffles are coming in, and she's constantly crying. "She wanted a different life for me, one that wouldn't be so risky. I… took up dancing, because I was just good at it. I… I ended up moving over here because…" She stops, her face pales.

Two small scrapes on the floor as Mira and Yserna both get up, the exact same goal in mind. "C'mere, Atsuna." Though, Yserna is still there first. "I've got you, girl." Gently placing the tea cup aside, she pulls her into a hug. "Let it out…"

"Atsuna? Thank you for trusting us." Mira approaches from behind to hug her from behind. "It really means a lot." Echo remains silent, not being as keen for emotional support. "We're here to support you, alright? Don't ever forget that."

Several minutes pass in relative silence, before Atsuna finally manages to choke out, "Mama was killed in an alley…"

* * *

**A/N:** Oh boy! Yserna and Mira discussing their crushes! How adorable, especially when they keep falling into danger of daydeaming, mmm… well, it's a good thing that Echo was there to wake them up!

Well, shite… that got heavy **real** quick. So, now we know the source of Atsuna's shyness. That's a really traumatic memory she was holding back. A high-ranking noble's daughter, who's mother was a concubine that happened to get pregnant. It's just… damn. But, uh… don't forget the start, with Azura and Atsuna agreeing with each other on something tough. Another thing to not forget…

Atsuna never did answer on what that 'reaction' was. Another time, maybe?


	11. Dire Letter

**A/N:** Hm… I have a rather… luxurious surprise this time, a dash of background information… and a touch of self-touching… nothing explicit.

* * *

**Dancers:** **Liavio**: The instructor and lead dancer… is basically Olivia from Awakening, just without the shyness. **Mirande (Corrin)**: Aside from her canon personality, there is a darker undertone to her behavior when she's alone… she's heavily concerned about her appearance, she's also slightly taller than the rest. **Yserna**: The second best dancer, next to Echo, who first found out about Mirande in the streets of Crynkesia… she hails from Izumo. **Atsuna**: The newest dancer, she's still adjusting to the stress of being on the elite team and can be shy. **Echo**: The best of the elite group, she's darker skinned, and the only real problem she has is her high metabolism, which keeps her just a bit too skinny.

* * *

**Namu Rosutaoi:** Hans has gotta be found and cornered, first. I agree though, Hans needs to die!

...You say Tohru, I think of Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid. Erm, but yeah… now that she opened up, you know that these girls will help her out! Oh, I'm sure Sakura will lend a hand for her, she **is** a healer, after all! Oh-ho, another mystery to add to the pile, hm? Now, just because Garon is sane doesn't mean there are questionable nobles around. And I think 'bad herbs' was meant more for that they just didn't work that time.

Heh, you got that right! But… Echo doesn't know Hinoka like that, so she doesn't have that reassurance. And I'm sure Mikoto would want the best for her children.

Mikoto for both.

You betcha! *winks*

* * *

**Consort:** *slow nod* At the very least, Atsuna and Azura can find comfort in each other for that. So, yeah… Mira isn't the only one with her past issues.

Yes! Well, when you got superstar social girls like Yserna and Mirande, I'm sure pretty much any reasonable person would get along!

* * *

Mirande sits near a ledge at the major canal intersection, swinging her legs over the edge, humming a small tune as she took in the sight. It never does get old, the relatively peaceful waters, the chatting people, and just this air of… nice. Another beautiful day in Crykensia… Mira leans back some just as a gust of wind blows past her and…

She sneezes. Huh? She blinks her eyes, raises her hand, and pulls off some… wait, what? She looks at it closer, bright orange threads? Wait, but… they are also tipped in white, oh… oh! And it's so soft! She pockets the thread-stuff, well then. "Hey, I got a… uh, hey do you…?" She hears someone ask, "I need to find… no? Uh, how about… sir?" Interested, Mira turns around and sees a… orange-fur man? Wait no, tails and furry ears? "Pardon me, I…?" Unfortunately, this poor man keeps getting denied any chance to talk. Strange… people in Crykensia usually aren't that rude.

"Hey, bright-orange guy!" Mira exclaims, waving him down. "Over here!"

"...huh? Oh, hi!" He smiles brightly, "Great to have someone to talk to! My name's Kaden!" He extends his furred hand, "What's yours?"

"I'm Mirande, but my friends call me Mira." She extends hers in kind, "How are you doing?"

"Aw, sweet… I'm doing awesome!" He eagerly shakes it, "Hey, uh… I got a question, if you don't mind."

The handshake ends, "What did you need?"

He holds up a small bag, "I said I'd do this guy a favor that I helped out on the way here, but… I don't know my way around here that well…" A brief frown forms.

"Well, I lived here most of my life, so I'm sure I can get you there." Mira smiles.

"Really? Groovy." His tail is wagging and she turns her gaze towards it, "So, what would…" He stops, his tail stops, "Would you like to feel my luxurious fur?" His chest fills with, what she assumes, is pride. "I brush, wash, and treat my fur every single day, multiple times a day. You will not find any fur softer than mine!" His tail sways and moves closer to the front, "Go ahead, pet it!"

...huh. Mira reaches out and touches the… oh… oh. Oh! "Oh wow…" Unfortunately, due to her lack of outside knowledge, her follow-up question wasn't the best, "Where did you get it?"

"Huh? That's **my** fur." He narrows his eyes. "Wait, you're serious? Mira, I'm a Kitsune."

"Kitsune?" She echoes with a small head tilt, though she continues gently stroking his tail fur. "No, I haven't heard of you all." She then gasps, removes her hand and shakes her head, "You wanted some help getting somewhere?" Oh… she got distracted by her thoughts.

But, gods… his fur is so **soft**.

"Oh yeah!" He quickly nods. "I came across a messenger guy while traveling around and he had a letter to deliver."

"A letter in a bag?" She asks.

"Uh… you know how hard it is to hold onto something when in Kitsune form?" He dangles the bag on a string. "Anyway, uh… looking for a person, it's like… a notice, actually?" He opens the bag and pulls out the letter, which is quite wrinkled already.

"You read it?"

"I shouldn't have, but the guy collapsed in front of me and he could barely talk." He opens the letter, "Uh… As… Asun…" He struggles.

"May I read it?"

"Sure, my reading skills aren't great… but I recognized Crynkensia!" He smiles, "I've been here lots of time! It's a really awesome city!" He extends an arm, "Here ya go!"

Mira smiles in kind, "'Dear At…'" She stops mid-word. 'Atsuna', is what is actually reads.

"Oh, it's my fault? It's too wrinkled, isn't it? I'm sorry… I sh…" Kaden rambles.

"No, it's not that. I can read it just fine."

"But, you stopped?"

"I know her… Atsuna, that is. If you'd like, I can deliver it."

He levels a look, then sniffs the air… a few seconds pass, his tail wags and he nods, "Alright, you come out truthful! Hey, uh… is there anything I can do for you? I can't let a debt go unpaid!"

For some reason, Morgan just crossed her mind when he exclaimed those last three words. "Uh, no. It's no problem. Atsuna is a friend of mine."

"Aw, c'mon… anything. Name it." He smirks, confident in his own abilities. "Actually, hold on… I'll stay here for the day, and if you think of something, I'll be there."

She rubs the back of her head, "Alright, I'll try and think of something, but only because you insist, Kaden."

"Awesome!" His tail wags quickly, "I'll go look around for a few hours. Talk to you later, buddy!" He walks off.

Mira glances down at the letter, ugh… curiosity. Who could've sent a letter to Atsuna? Maybe… a huge hand enters her vision, "Would you like for me to hold it?" Benny asks. "I can probably get the creases out, too."

She nods, and plants it in his palm, "Thank you, Benny." Gods know she won't be able to hold off her interest. "Let's go, then. Though… I'm not sure where Atsuna likes to do with her free time…"

"Try her house?" He suggests. "Work from there?"

"Ooo yeah! Then we can try the tea shop!" Charlotte nods.

"The theater afterwards." Mira smiles, "Alright, let's go!"

* * *

Knock, knock, knock. "Atsuna, girl? Are you home?" Mira carefully asks, as to not sound too loud. Thankfully, Benny had smoothed out the letter and now one can only see the faintest of folding. Another set of knocks, "Atsuna?" She tries again, but a bit louder. Still… no response. "Alright, tea shop, then." She shrugs.

The three resume walking. "So, Mira… you mentioned a new dancer?" Charlotte asks. "Azura?"

She nods, "Well, she isn't on the team yet, but the girls and I are confident she'll make it. She's very pretty and with really long hair." A short pause, then a brief frown, "Atsuna and her got along well, but that was due to 'knowing how it is'... then we finally learned that Atsuna's father pushed her mother and her away, so she was raised in Port Dia, where her mother had to live as a prostitute." The air turns a bit heavy, "I… I'm concerned on what Azura went through."

"Really? That's… that's. **Ugh**!" Charlotte scowls, "Sounds like that man should have his sex life taken from him!"

"Charlotte, please… no." Mira shakes her head.

"You can't just stand aside, there are times when someone is going to need to dish out the pain!" She insists. "Besides, if anything happens to you, we have the right to kick some butt and part some heads!" Oh, and there it is… the side of Charlotte that people don't see too often. Ruthless, brutal, and honestly…

Quite terrifying.

Mira steps back, "Um…?"

"Breathe, Charlotte." Benny firmly states.

"...huh? Oh. Yeah, uh… apologies, Mira." Charlotte breathes in and out. "Still, that's just so wrong."

"I agree, but can we not talk about… y'know?" Mira glances over to Charlotte's impressively-sized axe.

"For you? Absolutely!" Charlotte nods.

"Would you like for me to look, Mirande?" Benny asks.

"Ask for… oh!" Well then, she hadn't realized they had already arrived. "Uh… sure!" With a grunt, Benny enters the tea shop, "So, what about…"

"Oh, hello… Mira, was it?" A mass of robe walks up to her… Morgan, right?

"Yep, and you're… Morgan?" She smiles. "I, uh… noticed you found Owain."

A thin line forms with his mouth, "I did, and I apologize for interrupting your date with Prince Leo." He rubs the back of his head.

Well, that did kind of hurt, but… "I'm more glad you've reunited with him. So, if I may ask…?"

"Dragon's Gate, Ylisse, he's one of the Princes." Morgan gives a clipped response. "Really damn good with a sword, even if he's overly dramatic and has a huge flare. Sent the entire castle and a good portion of Ylisse scrambling when he, Severa, and Inigo decided to go on a trip." He pulls out a paper from his robe, "'We three have taken up the call for a greater power and are answering it! We shall head into the vastness of the embrace of a great dragon to sate our need for exploration! Hence shall we'... yadda yadda yadda. How do you think his mother felt when she read that? She panicked!" He puts the letter away, rubs his forehead and sighs. "And of course, they just **had** to travel through the Outrealms… which meant going by Anna, which means there's a lot of gold involved. Do you realize how much gold I burnt through just to get her to tell me which of the innumerable worlds those three went to?"

Oh, wow… he has a lot on his mind. "I… didn't realize you were so pent up, Morgan."

He blinks his eyes, "Did… I just ramble? Gods, I apologize, Mira… I hadn't done that in a while." He bows, "You just have this… aura about you. It feels so calming and relaxing, like I can just walk up to you and explain away all of my problems… kind of like my father, actually."

"Not here, Mirande." Benny walks out.

"Hey, Morgan? Would you like to walk with me over to the theater? I'm looking for a friend, her name is Atsuna. And you look like you could use a less stressful way to spend your time." She smiles, "Maybe a quick walk and talk will help you out?"

"I… sure, why not?" He nods. "I've been traveling alone for a while, anyway."

"Awesome! Benny? Lead on." The bodyguard nods and begins walking.

"Are they your… retainers?" Morgan asks. "Are you royalty?"

Mira shakes her head, "No, I'm an elite dancer for this city, and we need to be in absolutely flawless condition."

"...I see." He nods, an extremely piercing gaze coming from him and to her. It's almost like he's looking through her everything. "Inigo's mother is a dancer, her name is Olivia." He remarks, "Married to Exalt Chrom, their firstborn is named Lucina."

"Really? They must have a lot of children by this point." Mira smiles, oh… to have someone care for…

"Only two." Morgan shakes his head, "Technically four, but... you don't want to go into all of **that** detail."

"I'm open to listen, Morgan." Mira counters. "If you want to talk about it…"

He takes a breath and with the straightest face Mira has ever seen, he says… "Inigo is both about seventeen years old, and only about one year old… Lucina is both about eighteen years old and two years old. Personally, I haven't even seen my youngest of sisters born yet, even though I spent my life with her."

Wait… "Uh…?"

"Time travel."

"Come again?"

"This is why I didn't want to go into detail."

"I… actually, you're right. Maybe I don't want to know." Mira nods. "Uh, so… how many siblings do you have?"

"Nine. All sisters." He forms a thin line with his mouth. "I'm literally right in the middle in terms of age. On top of that, I have a twin sister. So, I have four sisters older than me, one the same age as me, and the rest are younger. Her name is Anna."

"N-Nine?!" Mira chokes on her own breath… gods, what kind of drive does his father have?! Her face flushes…

And starts imagining Prince Leo being **that** energetic. The next thing she knows, she feels arms… "Mira?" And staring at Charlotte's concerned face. "You alright?"

"Y-yeah… perfect." She half-mindly responds.

"...Did I say something wrong?" Morgan asks.

"You said everything right." She continues in her half-focused state. Oh, her body is so warm and tingly and… whoo!

"You were passed out for over ten minutes, Mira." Charlotte points out, before leaning in to whisper… something. Mira can't focus right now.

"I'd like Lord Leo to hold me close…"

"She likes Lord Leo, then?" Morgan asks.

"He's the single best man ever to walk this world. He's so… **everything**." Mira responds. "Oh, to wake up in his arms every morning, to…" She trails off…

Then Charlotte pats her face, "Mira?"

"...huh?" She slowly blinks her eyes.

"Another five minutes." She comments. "Maybe I should take you home?"

"But…" Mira frowns, but then notices that… "Yes, please." A slow nod.

"Mira? Are you alright?" Morgan asks, concern all over his face. "Face is flushed, breathing is a bit quick…"

"Nope, don't worry about it." Charlotte holds Mira up without issue, bridal style. "You got the letter stuff, Benny?"

"Yep."

"Alright, we're off, then… Come on, Mira." She says while walking. Gods… Charlotte is incredibly strong…

* * *

"Did anyone notice?" Mira asks the second Charlotte lets her down and closes the door.

"Don't think so… you good now?" Morgan may have had some concern on his face, but Charlotte has so much more. "Are your panties completely ruined?"

"I…" Mira walks into the bathroom, closes that door, then drops her… "Just a bit wet!" She calls out. "And… still a bit… I'm going to need some time." Looking from one side to the other, Mira decides to take a bath. "Charlotte? Get some clothes for me, I'm going to wash and… well."

"Understood!" Mira gets the water started as she hears Charlotte goes into her room. She wouldn't even ask Benny to do something like that. **Only** Charlotte is allowed to do this and… knock knock. "Got 'em."

Mira opens the door, nude mind you, but… Charlotte is already looking the other way, a neatly folded stack of clothes in her arms and… "Thank you. I'll be ready in a… while." She accept the clothes, closes the door… then reaches into the center of the stack. One rather expensive sex toy shaped like a penis rests there. Her face flushes… oh, it's been a while since she's been **this** heated down there. Mira takes a breath, goes over and into the bath. She's had sessions like these before… but never such a definite face to picture these kind of images with… it almost feels a bit wrong. "Oh, Lord Leo…" She sinks into the water, and positions her toy at the spot, then plunges in...

* * *

**A/N:** Ah-ha! Kaden makes his appearance! And then… Morgan again? Hm, but what's this? We get some hints into the world of Awakening?! *nods* So yes, Morgan's mother is Anna. Inigo's father is Chrom.

We also get some moments with Mira daydreaming… for minutes without even realizing it! Whew, she's really into the thought of Leo. I mean, so much that she… touches herself. Oh… oh. No, I'm not going into detail, at least not yet. Let's try to keep this at 'T' for now, alright?


	12. Stirring up the P(l)ot

**A/N:** Woo boy… the problems are just building up, aren't they? I suppose that means conflict is coming up soon, right? Well… lemme just set a few more pieces before I actually dive into that, alright?

* * *

**Dancers:** **Liavio**: The instructor and lead dancer… is basically Olivia from Awakening, just without the shyness. **Mirande (Corrin)**: Aside from her canon personality, there is a darker undertone to her behavior when she's alone… she's heavily concerned about her appearance, she's also slightly taller than the rest. **Yserna**: The second best dancer, next to Echo, who first found out about Mirande in the streets of Crynkesia… she hails from Izumo. **Atsuna**: The newest dancer, she's still adjusting to the stress of being on the elite team and can be shy. **Echo**: The best of the elite group, she's darker skinned, and the only real problem she has is her high metabolism, which keeps her just a bit too skinny.

* * *

**Namu Rosutaoi:** Ah yes, Kaden… always going out of his way to do a favor for someone… before sticking around to return a favor. It seems like a never-ending loop. Yes, only Charlotte may know about the presence of sex toys. Hm… that's just Morgan being strangely acute through having a Grandmaster and a master merchant as parents. *shrugs* Not sure, I can say it is a story they might want to keep under wraps for safety. You never know how someone might react to a person being from another world… even if Dragon's Gate and Outrealms are a known thing.

Huh… good point. Unfortunately… I can't, not this time. Though… glad you liked the extra moments of daydreaming. A total of fifteen minutes that we didn't even get to see. And… hey! Blame Robin and Anna for that! They're the ones that were so energetic in bed!

Ah-ha! Well, blame Mira for not wanting to pry into other people's stuff. As for speculation? Well, all we know that is Atsuna's mother was a personal prostitute to the father, who disowned her after getting pregnant. Atsuna was raised in Port Dia with her mother continuing to please people to cover the finances… but then she was killed in an alleyway and Atsuna moved to Crynkensia. Now that Atsuna is making her mark as an elite dancer…

Could this be her father reaching out? Now that he sees that the daughter actually turned out to be successful?

Overall though, I think this is you overthinking again… at least with the part with sending Hans and stuff.

A tale of a beautiful woman? I remember one where a man saves a dying… crane? I think? And when he nurses her back to health, he sees that a beautiful woman is with him and that she makes this spool of exceptional silk. He sells it for a high price and wants another, which she makes, but everytime this happens she gets skinnier and overall looks worse, as well as taking longer…

Though… I'll keep that story in mind.

* * *

**Consort:** Now now… I don't think canon Corrin would go around and snoop into other people's mail. Mira read enough to know who it's being sent to, and left it at that. It seems like mysteries are starting to build up around Atsuna… well, it doesn't help that Mira didn't ask where Kaden was for this letter. I think our best best might be Nohr, and surely dear old daddy would **not** send one. Hm...

* * *

Mirande hums as she picks through the selection of fruit at the market stall, today is the type of day for a vivid and very bright pink makeup combination! She's just in that sort of mood that makes her all bouncy and giddy. "Apples and oranges… peaches and lemons." She absentmindedly comments. "Wonder what I should get for dinner…" She looks at the various selections, then decides to go over to the butcher. "I got enough fruit, I think…" She checks her basket, then notices that it's actually been stuffed. "Oh, whoops… uh, Benny?" She sheepishly asks. "Here you go." She smiles as she hands her bodyguard her… third basket.

"Feeding a group today, ma'am?" One of the shopkeepers ask, he has dried noodles up in stock.

"Huh? Uh… no, actually." Wait, hold on, "I am getting a lot, aren't I? Hey, Charlotte? Mind seeing if you can invite one of the girls over to my house tonight? Oh! Maybe Kaden, too?"

Charlotte smiles, "Sure thing, Mira!" With that, she makes her way out, gaining more than her fair share of 'sneaky' glances.

"Yes, I am…" Mira corrects herself, "Do you have any recommendations for noodles?"

He chuckles, "Well, I just got this in…" He gestures towards a slightly thicker kind… not that Mira is well-versed in noodle-ology. "It's the newest batch, so no need to worry about any of them being aged."

She looks the noodles over, before nodding, "Alright, I'll have… a pound of those." She pulls out her coin purse and gives him a generous amount. "Keep the remainder, sir!" She offers a beautiful smile as she accepts the noodle-filled bag. "Alright, Benny… how about some vegetables and… meat." She nods. "Have a good day, sir!" She waves.

"You as well, ma'am!" He waves back.

As she walks, Mira counts over her coins, "Gods, I still can't believe Morgan would part with so much." She's still working through the massive amount of gold that the mysterious man gave her… she hasn't even gotten to her own pay-out for the recent performance yet! "So then, a sort of stir fry mixed with veggies, meat, and some fruit on the side… these noodles should work, right? I mean, they are a bit thicker than what stir-fry is usually calls for."

Benny shrugs, "Noodles are noodles."

She giggles, "Fair enough, so! What kind of meat? Y'know, considering the…" She snaps her fingers, "I know exactly where to go! C'mon, Benny!"

* * *

Mira pokes her head into the steakhouse, before making her way in. "Afternoon, ma'am." The greeter… well, greets. "How many?"

"Uh, I'm actually just here to purchase some steaks to cook." She smiles, and apparently she struck the right chord with him… because that poor guy just flushed heavily.

He clears his throat and adjusts his tie, "Of course, ma'am… how many and which cuts?"

"Heya, Mira!" And from one of the benches… Echo waves her down. Once more and even from here, Mira can see a rather hearty chunk of meat on her plate. "Good to see you, girl!"

"Hello, Echo!" Mira waves back. "Uh… whatever is good for grilling, sir?" She sheepishly smiles at the man, "And… two, please." She steps forward, "I'll be with her whenever it's all ready!" The man bows and informs another man… while Mira walks over to Echo. Whew, gods, can she eat. "How's it going?" Mira asks as she sits down.

"Heh, just got done training… and practicing." She smirks. "Azura… she seems," A pause for a moment, "Closed off? I invited her over here, but she just shook her head and kept walking. I mean… even Atsuna would've said something." She leans back, still half a steak to go… no including whatever else she probably just ate. Gods, how intense is her training? That she can turn around and burn all… Mira giggles. "What?"

"I was just… thinking…" She places a hand over her mouth, "About how you can eat… all of that, then…" A thought so legendary that she's having trouble getting it out! "Then, go and… **burn** it off!" She finally gets out, tears of humor falling down, "G-get it? Be...because you're of the… **Fire** Tribe!"

Echo offers only a blank stare for a few moments… before her composure breaks and she smirks, "Gods, Mira. Only you." At least a small chuckle escapes her. "Glad to see you doing so well, like normal. So… did you come to eat?"

A few more moments before she calms down, then shakes her head, pulling her hand back down, "No, I came here to get some steaks to go, I'm going to make some stir-fry tonight! Uh, would you…?"

"Nah, I appreciate the offer, though." A smile forms, "Really Mira… you and Yserna are so… how do you two do it? So open and accepting? And you always do it with a big smile and open arms." She hums, before adding on, "Actually, I think I can get Yserna, because of Izumo, but you? Liavio and Yserna both say you literally appeared out of nowhere."

"I did, didn't I?" A less relaxed smile forms and she crosses her legs, "Well, I snuck into the theater, saw a…"

"You snuck into the Crykensia theater?" Echo… echoes.

"Uh, yeah. I was… really small and thin and… malnourished at the time." Mira's tone drops, "I traveled from a village way north from here, because I heard about how great this place is."

Echo's mouth forms a thin line, "You were… gods. So, you had it rough while young?" Mira rubs her arm and, "No wait, don't answer that. I'm more glad you're here now."

"...thanks, girl." A more genuine smile forms, "It's still tough to think about."

"Ma'am? Your order." A different man comes up and places a very well-wrapped package on the table. "Is there anything else you need?"

Mira glances at Echo… then pulls off one of the most self-satisfied smirks she has ever had. "I assume this will cover the costs?" She plops a very generous handful of gold coins to him.

"More than enough, allow me to get your ch…"

"Oh, I meant for my order and Echo's order."

"Hold on, Mira, you don't gotta pay for mine!" Echo exclaims.

"Too bad!" She giggles. "That's for my order, her order… and keep the remainder." She winks, this man also flushes… whoo! She's on a roll today! "I'll see you later, Echo!" She waves, grabs her order… and strides out with confidence. Oh yes, she knew today was a vivid pink makeup day!

* * *

Benny stands tall as the pan sizzles, watching over Mira's progress. Given her time alone, Mira has developed her skills in cooking. She isn't restaurant-level quality, but she can make a good meal when the time calls for her to cook. Benny, being a border guard for most of his life, meant he has almost no experience, except maybe with sandwiches or other quick meals. Mass-produced meals and rations are almost all he knows. Charlotte, on the other hand, apparently didn't become a border guard until later, and due to her poverty-risen childhood, had to deal with lack of meals and the cheapest of cheap food.

Now, though? Charlotte and Benny are well fed, and Charlotte's family is finally more than stable! However, now that means Mira will have a slowly growing gold stash, because… she just doesn't excessively buy things. Sure, she has this fancy house, but that's provided by the theater for the elite dancers… though she does pay for the upkeep. Then again… it's not like she ruins anything, she's a fairly clean woman and she doesn't let things break. "I'm baaaack, Mira!" Charlotte hops in. "Alright, so… Yserna had her own plans tonight, I literally couldn't find Atsuna anywhere, buuuut! I did manage to find Kaden! I told him about the dinner, he agreed… but then he said he had an idea, he ran off, and now I don't know where he is." Charlotte recounts.

"Azura?"

"Oh, right! She was in a meeting with Liavio, so I wasn't able to get a chance to ask." She frowns. "Then again, I guess everyone won't always be available."

Mira nods, "True." She stirs the… stir fry some. "Wait, did you tell Kaden where to go?"

"Uh… he assured me he could find his way to the house."

"...Huh, alright then." She shrugs.

"...Wolfskin have keen senses, so I'm sure Kitsunes do, too." Benny supplies.

"Oh?" Mira turns… right as the pan 'pops', which nails her on her hand, "Ow!" Ooo, that stings! She pulls her hand back, which causes the pan to shake a bit, but Benny has already practically thrusted his hand forward and stabilizes it, "Thanks, Benny." She smiles. "Oof, that really burned." Another hand enters her view, and this time it's Charlotte, gently placing a towel-covered ice cube over the spot. "Thanks, Charlotte."

While Benny just grunts, Charlotte nods with a smile, "You're welcome, Mira."

"So, Benny… what else do you know about Kitsunes?"

"...I don't, though I know of Wolfskin." He replies, mimicking Mira's recent actions with the sizzling pan. "Heightened senses, superior physical attributes, and very blunt… at least with the Wolfskin."

"Oh, well… wait. How do you know?" Mira asks.

"I have some experience with the Nohrian beastfolk."

"Really? Anything else to note?"

"Wolfskin prefer strength and their beastforms are large and bulky."

"Like… how big? Wait… what do you mean by 'beastform'?"

He pauses for a moment, "When you saw Kaden, he looked like a human, right? Posture and all that, but with fur, ears, and a tail?"

She quickly nods, "Yep."

"That's their 'human' or 'unshifted' form. I don't know what a 'shifted' Kitsune looks like, but a Wolfskin is a massive, hulking beast… easily larger than a fully-grown bear." He continues to supply.

"And you've seen them?"

He takes the deepest breath Mira has ever seen him take, and with the absolute most straight face she has ever seen… "I wrestled a shifted Wolfskin."

Seconds tick by, and the only sound is the sizzling pan and maybe a few pops from said pan. "Oh… wow! You're so awesome, Benny!" Mira claps.

"You aren't… afraid?" He raises an eye. "There were a lot of rumors spread on me while I was a border guard."

Charlotte nods, "If you believe them, then Benny has… literally ate mountains, fought three-against-one with oversized grizzly bears, picked up and moved entire houses by himself…" She trails off, "It sounds absurd, but… he just lets them continue gossiping."

And for one of the few times, Benny smiles, "It's amusing to hear what they think of. One of them is I apparently punched a dragon in the face."

"...Well, surely they are based on some truth, right?" Mira asks, fully interested… to the point where she forgets that Benny is now the one cooking the meal.

He sighs, though there is still some amusement in it, "I once finished my rounds really hungry, and I ate an entire lasagna made for a group of five by myself. I **did** fight a single oversized grizzly bear, but I almost died and I only walked out alive because I had help from…" He trails off.

"Benny?"

"That Wolfskin I wrestled before." He admits with a slight… flush? "Uh… I think it's done?" He quickly redirects.

Mira tilts her head, then looks over to the skillet, "Maybe a bit too cooked?" She asks. "Eh, there'll be enough flavor to cover up the meat." She nods to herself, "Alright, so… just mix it all in a big bowl and it should be good to go!" A huge smile graces her face. "Now, that just leaves my actual company. I hope Kaden will be here soon…" And as if the gods had heard that statement, someone knocks on the door. Could it really be him? Well, Kaden managed to convince Charlotte that he could find his way, and if their senses are as honed as Benny believes. Mira skips over to the door as Benny and Charlotte ready the table. She opens the door and… nobody? Huh, oh wait. She bends down and picks up a small bundle of white lilies. She looks around the outside, "Uh, thank you!" She exclaims out into the open. She then walks back into the house.

"Aw, how pretty, Mira!" Charlotte notes. "Oh! Let me get a vase!" She moves through one of the side rooms that Mira doesn't use that often.

"Who are they from?" Benny asks.

"I dunno… just saw them there, but aren't they pretty?" She takes a sniff, mmm… "Oh, probably just one of the fans of the elite dancers… but was too nervous to actually talk." She shrugs the concern off.

"Got one!" Charlotte returns with this absolutely beautiful red-colored vase… Mira owns this?

"Thank you!" Mira exclaims as she places the flowers into the vase. "I hope he returns… or maybe that was a she? Regardless, I'd like to thank the for the… knock, knock.

"I got the vase." Charlotte assures her as she goes over to a table to place the vase down, while Mira opens the door… again.

"Heya, buddy!" Oh, now it's Kaden!

"Hello, Kaden! It's good to see you!" Mira allows the Kitsune to walk in. "I'm so glad you could make it."

"Happy to help and…" He sniffs the air, then his tail starts wagging, "Ooo, what's that? It smells really good and…" His stomach audibly growls. "Oh right right… I got you… this!" He reaches into that small pouch he has and pulls out a small bottle of a very thick and deep yellow liquid. "Fresh honey!"

...how did he think **that** would go with stir fry? "Thank you, Kaden!" Still, fresh honey? That's quite the rare treat. "Really, fresh honey is so hard to come by… er, without using up like, a sack of gold."

"Hey, not a problem! I **always** repay any favors with favors of my own." He smiles. "So, uh… food?"

Mira giggles, "Sure thing! I'm actually hungry too, so… let's eat!" She takes a moment to stop by the cupboards to set the bottle of honey down, before going over to the table and taking her own seat. "So… you've been to Crynkensia a lot? I've never seen you before." Benny dutifully serves both of them a plate, then Charlotte… before getting his own, relatively large **bowl** of stir fry and stands to the side.

"Yep, sure have!" Kaden smiles, before taking up a fair amount of noodles onto his fork. "I like the water here, the people are usually pretty awesome, too. So… I dunno why they were ignoring me today." I brief frown… then he tastes the food. His ears perk up and his tail starts wagging, "Oh wow, that's super-awesome, Mirande!" He licks his lips.

She flushes a bit, "Oh, please… it could've been done better." And gods… his gaze is captivating. Sure, he's really…

He sniffs the food, before taking another, much more generous amount of stir fry in. Mira smiles and gets her own portion in. Oh wow… she really did well this time! Or maybe that's more for the quality of the ingredients? "Mira, girl? You really outdid yourself this time!" Charlotte compliments.

Kaden chuckles, oh… that's a nice sound. However, it isn't quite on the level of Lord Leo's… "So, uh… you're a dancer?" He asks.

She slowly nods, slightly mentally dazed from the mere thought of Leo's… "Yes, I am." She focuses. "One of the elite dancers. There are four of us right now, though we'll be getting a fifth soon."

"Groovy…" Gulp, Kaden downs another huge forkful of stir fry. Mira follows suit with a smaller amount. "Have you ever got to travel?"

"Nope, spent pretty much all of my life here. Have you?"

"Uh-huh, I like running across the lands, the wind blowing through my delicately groomed fur, meeting new people and just having a fun time overall!" He smiles. "I'd totally suggest traveling when you get a chance."

Mira tilts her head, "That sounds nice, but I think I'd be happiest in the arms of someone who loves me," Like… if she could… oh yes. Lord Leo. Mira sinks back into her seat a bit and…

"Huh… must be a human thing." He mutters. "Regardless, I hope you end up happy!" He moves to stand, "Thanks for the meal, Mira! It was really delicious, but… what am I going to do for you, now? I just got around to repaying that first favor, but now…"

"Kaden." Charlotte steps up. "Don't worry about it, alright?"

"But, I **always**…"

"Don't worry about it. You're actually making her really uncomfortable when you press that on her."

"Oh… really? I'm sorry." He frowns. "Uh, then… I'll… not worry… about it?" He rubs the back of his head. "That just sounds so weird… usually people love to hear that."

"Most people are a bit more selfish than my liege." Benny speaks up. "She'll be at her happiest when **others** are at their happiest."

"Huh… well then, alright. I think I can get that." Kaden nods. "Well, again… thank you for the meal. Maybe we'll meet again one day?"

Mira nods, "Yeah, I'd love that. You're really a nice person, Kaden. Do have a safe trip, alright?"

He chuckles, "Sure thing... " He waves, "Alright, I'm off!" He walks towards the door, then leaves.

She notes that Kaden's plate is, in fact, very cleared off. "Wow, he was hungry…" She comments as she just gets past her halfway point. "So… uh. Wrap the rest up and save it for later." She concludes, before glancing over at the white lilies…

Gods, those are so beautiful. She just wishes she could thank whoever was too nervous to actually hand them to her...

* * *

**A/N:** Hey hey… I just set up a thing. A very big thing. I wonder if anyone will catch what the thing is. *strokes beard* Maybe… maybe if anyone has played through Dragon Age 2, you can catch what the big thing is. Nope, not gonna reference which scene, and the chapter name does **not** line up with the quest name.

I… wasn't too sure about the dinner scene itself, but I ultimately kept it in.

See y'all next chapter!


	13. Scars and Souvenirs

**A/N:** *ahem* I'm bringing it in, people! Here comes the angst and the pain and the comfort! **Bring yer tissues!**

* * *

**Dancers:** **Liavio**: The instructor and lead dancer… is basically Olivia from Awakening, just without the shyness. **Mirande (Corrin)**: Aside from her canon personality, there is a darker undertone to her behavior when she's alone… she's heavily concerned about her appearance, she's also slightly taller than the rest. **Yserna**: The second best dancer, next to Echo, who first found out about Mirande in the streets of Crynkesia… she hails from Izumo. **Atsuna**: The newest dancer, she's still adjusting to the stress of being on the elite team and can be shy. **Echo**: The best of the elite group, she's darker skinned, and the only real problem she has is her high metabolism, which keeps her just a bit too skinny.

* * *

**Consort:** Oh, it's alright. I'll be sure to make everyone's on level field by the time the… stuff happens.

*nods* I was going for 'oh, he's cute', but not like 'Oh my gods, I WANT HIM!'... kinda like Laslow, but without the flirting. Well… wouldn't the best rumors be the ones that are based on the truth, but then sprinkled with some lies? Though, I do find it humorous that in this way, Benny let those tales get out of hand.

* * *

Mirande groans and rolls over in her sleep as she can just barely hear some knocking on the door. "Too… early." She gripes as she pulls the covers over her head. A second set, then a…

"Hey, Mira?" Charlotte calls from beyond the door. "Should get dressed… Atsuna is…"

"Atsuna?" Mira cuts her off, "Gods, let her in, then!" With a girlfriend on the topic, her eyes snap open and she carelessly tosses the covers off, before hastily grabbing a set of clothes. Footsteps come and go, Mira dons a nightgown and rubs a hand past her ears… good. With that done, she leaves her room and sees a shaken Atsuna.

"Can… I stay here a bit?" Her voice sounds defeated, broken. Her eyes are wide and her breathing is quick. Tears have stained her beautiful face.

"Atsuna, girl… what happened?" Mira starts, but then shakes her head, "Of course you can! Charlotte, get her some… wait." She looks behind the shaken elite dancer, "Where are your…?" Silence, Mira instead hugs her. "Benny, can you…?"

"Benny went to make sure we're clear, Mira!" Charlotte calls out from the bathroom, before returning with some medical supplies. "Didn't want to worry you overmuch, but…" She trails off as she looks Atsuna's back over, since Mira is still very much giving the girl a tight hug.

"But, what?" Mira ends the hug.

"Guard count has increased… Lord Xander's orders. Benny was told, since he was such an exceptional guard at the border. Lord Xander believes there's enough reason to raise the guards, but left it at that." Charlotte expertly applies some ointment on some bruises on Atsuna's body. "Benny said we should be paying extra attention to the 'prominent people'." Mira's face pales a bit, did that letter have something to do with this? Maybe she should've read it! What if, what if… "It's not your fault, Mira." Charlotte sternly states, as if sensing knowing where her line of thought is going.

"...huh?" Atsuna asks. "Oh, wait… you mean that… letter Benny came with?"

"Yeah, actually." Mira nods. "A Kitsune named Kaden got that letter from a messenger who collapsed, and I told him I'd deliver it for him, since I know you." She bites her lip, "What was in it?"

Atsuna rubs her arm, "Father." Her voice cracks a bit. "He found out the 'unwanted daughter' is both alive and rather famous, and he wants to see me." Huh, that doesn't sound… bad? "It sounded genuine and it seemed he was just keeping appearances, since mother was just a… paid personal 'sex doll'." Disgust, not that Mira can blame her. "But, it doesn't change the fact that I was attacked tonight. My bodyguards got me out of it, but I don't know where they are or…" She starts sniffling, then crying. "Mira… I'm so scared! There was these people and they were so mean and violent and they…" She falls to the floor. "I want my mommy back!"

Gods. Mira crouches down and holds Atsuna again. "You'll be safe in here, girl." Oh, that feels like a horrible lie.

And no more than a second after, Benny comes through the door, his armor has been beaten in a bit, and he's got a number of cuts. "The group has been routed, Mirande." He bows as he lets out a heavy breath. "Two of them were some recent recruits and I handled them easily, but… the third got away." He reaches into his armor and pulls out a hidden Vulnerary that Mira had no idea there was room for. He chugs a serving down with a grimace. "Lord Xander was right in his suspicions and the description he gave me was spot on." He clears his throat, "Hans is in Crynkensia. Expect at least twice the patrols and certain squads being replaced with Elite Guards. There will be additional guards in alleys, as well as flight-based patrol… lastly, there will be a curfew, going outside at night is prohibited, though bodyguards like us are allowed to stand at entryways."

Her blood runs cold and Atsuna just buries herself into Mira. "How long?" Is all Mira asks.

"Until he is captured…" A quick pause, "Lord Xander has made this clear this will be his last location."

"Is he still here? Lord Xander, that is?"

"He and Lord Leo has briefly left the city, but they are returning with their full battle outfits." Benny supplies… and it's just occurred to Mira that this is the most he ever talked. "Princess Camilla and her retainers are also to make their appearance to patrol. Hans is that much of a priority." He moves over to a chair and sits down, some weariness showing.

Lord Leo is… no! Not right now! There's a really serious and violent killer out there! "Hey, Atsuna? Would you like some stir fry?"

"Yes… please." She whispers.

"On it." Before Mira could even ask, Charlotte moves towards the leftover area and reaches into the magically chilled section, then proceeds to get a serving for Atsuna. Mira, in the meantime, helps Atsuna up and over to the dinner table.

"Well, other than that… how'd your day go, girl?!" She tries to cheer the other up.

"Honestly?" She starts.

"Please, be honest." Mira nods.

"I woke up feeling sick, I wanted to… see Pr-Princess Sakura again, but she's already left. I walked around, my guard gave me that letter Benny had, I spent a few hours deciding if I should've just burned the letter, I went home and cried, I finally decided I was going to go out and walk… then I got attacked by a raging madman and his killers." She pulls her legs up to her chest… because she **is** small enough to fit her body in that chair. "So… terrible, the whole day." She whimpers.

"Gods, Atsuna…" Mira breathes.

A bowl of stir fry is placed in front of her, and she follows up with, "This is probably the only good part of today…" A fork soon follows, "Thank you, Mira." She flushes, "Your kindness means so much…" She slowly takes half a fork's worth and gently eats. "Mmm…" She hums, clearly satisfied. "Momma used to make the best meals."

Without the context, this would be an extremely heartwarming moment… but Mira feels more like her heart has been shattered. "Charlotte? Can you get me a brush and comb?" She asks, looking over Atsuna's hair. It's all tangled and messy… And within a minute, a brush and comb is on the table. "Here you go, girl…" She gently states as she slowly gets knots out.

"Gods, you're so gentle, it's almost crazy…" Atsuna comments. "I can barely feel you working." She gets another serving in on her fork.

"So… tell me about Princess Sakura." Mira states as she fixes up one side.

A short cough, "Well, she's… sh-she's very nice and sweet… I… really like her. She's got this beautiful smile and nervous giggle, but if you can get the right spot, then the nervousness drops and she becomes this divinely captivating woman. I loved every second I spent with her, even when she started fretting over how I had this little bruise. Yet… it didn't feel 'motherly' or even 'healer-ish', it was all genuine care and love and affection of wanting the other person well and… I'd like to spend more time with her." She then gasps, "G-gods… did I just… r-ramble?" Her face fully flushes.

Mira giggles, though never loses her accuracy or even messing up on the combing, "You did! Girl, that was cute! I'm so glad you found someone who makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside!"

However, instead of continuing to ramble or anything, she instead forms this adorable smile and resumes eating… which somehow makes it even more memorable. Mira exchanges comb for brush and resumes working on Atsuna's hair. "I'm… going back to my post, now." Benny gets up with a relieved sigh. "With your permission, I'd…"

"Benny, if you need it, go get it." Mira smoothly cuts him off. "You know I'm not much on extra material possessions. If you need armor, get armor."

"...Thank you, Mirande." He bows, then proceeds to exit the door and stand outside of it.

"The same goes for you, Charlotte… even though I know you lack to slack on armor."

Charlotte giggles, "I know, that's why I work so well with Benny! He's my shield, and I'm the axe that…" She stops and takes a breath, "Calmly dispatches enemies." A glint passes by her eye…

Thank the gods Atsuna missed it. "Thank you for the meal, Mira… that was very delicious and well-prepared!" Atsuna sighs, then reaches up to touch a portion of her now-groomed hair. "Wow, and you're so good at that, too!"

Mira smiles, "Would you like a bath… uh, not to imply that you smell! It's just…"

"I understand, Mira… but I like my baths in the morning." She nods, "I think I'd prefer to relax, and maybe… sleep, if I can." A pause, her body tenses, "But… not… alone." She squeaks out. "I always had… one of my bodyguards… in the same room as me when I slept." She flushes. "I don't like being alone." She turns and looks at Mira, "If it's not too much to ask…?"

"If it'll help out, then sure!" Mira exclaims, though there is some uncertainty in it. "Uh, Charlotte? Would you mind prepping the bed?"

"Sure thing, Mira!" She dashes towards the room.

"...Mira? Is it alright if I ask a… personal question?" Atsuna suddenly says, after pushing the bowl away some.

"Uh, sure."

"...Why do you use so much Illusion magic?"

Mira pauses and her face pales a bit. "I… don't?" Can… can she...

"Mother taught me some magic while I was growing up and I know a few spells." She replies. "But… if you don't want to talk about it, I won't push it."

Mira takes a breath, "I do… actually. I got… deformities that basic makeup can't cover." She admits.

"Deformities?" Atsuna turns around and places a hand on Mira's non-brush holding hand. "Girl?"

"I was abandoned at youth, the other children in the village always made fun of me. I mean, I had…" Her voice cracks, her eyes glisten with tears, "These horrible **pointed** ears and my eyes are naturally red… **red**! Who has red eyes? Monsters, demons! Not pretty women and…"

Atsuna hugs her. "And what do you and Yserna always tell Echo and me? That everyone is beautiful in their own right."

"Yeah, but… who has what I have? Nobody!" She counters, feeling hurt due to sensitivity. She never imagined just spilling out that information and if she did… Yserna would've been the first. Aside from Charlotte and Benny, that is.

"...Could I see?" She asks.

"What? No!" They… aren't even healed over, yet!

"...You aren't the only one using Illusion magic, Mira." Atsuna, somewhat calmly, informs her. "So… if you show me yours, I'll show you my scars…"

Mira stops and thinks for a moment as her past experiences bubble up and… "Alright." She nods before she starts overthinking this. This **is** Atsuna, after all. She trusts Atsuna. Mira puts the brush down, takes a breath, and for once and while not alone… undoes the Illusion spells. She squints her eyes, not wanting to see the look of disgust on…

"You… cropped them?" Atsuna gently comments. "That's so…" Sorrow, no disgust. Mira opens her eyes and while Atsuna tilts her head, there's still no fear, no disgust.

"I don't have enough magical potential to cover them up when they're fully out." Mira raises a finger and holds it to a spot over the scarred ear, around where the tip would be. "I mean, I can, but it's so draining. So I… cut them, and I… also… file my teeth, because they keep coming back sharpened."

Atsuna shivers, bothered but still not repulsed. "I see…" She nods, then moves to take off her shirt, Mira looks away for a moment, though thankfully she does have a bra on. "Alright, so… when I was young, I had this… disease that ate away some of my skin and insides." Her voice cracks, "Mother basically gave herself to the richest man in Port Dia for three **years** in exchange for the proper medical care to be sent for me. This man wasn't nice to momma and she'd always come home weak and bruised…" She raises her hand and mutters a spell and gods… It's clear she has magic training. In the same amount of time it took Mira to reveal her ears, Atsuna had undone the Illusion spell over her entire body. Deep scars… ones that look like she was burned, all over her chest and back. Other spots were a bit sunken in. "My head and lower body were unaffected by this disease." She informs her.

"Gods, girl… and you can… and this?" Mira reaches out and places a soft hand on a sunken spot, before tracing it to one of these burn-like scars.

Atsuna nods, breathing in sharply, "If momma didn't teach me magic, I wouldn't have left Port Dia… maybe even the house." In turn, she reaches out and places a hand on Mira's cropped ears, "Mira? I-if… I can teach you better use of magic, would you please not… cut your ears?"

"You'd do that?"

"Why not? I can't imagine how much that must hurt." She points out. "How often?"

"...About once a month, my teeth are filed every few months." Mira admits, her hand still on Atsuna's lower chest. The scars are so rough and bumpy… yet the rest is so smooth and gentle. And… she can so easily hide this with magic? She looks up to Atsuna, noting that she hasn't removed her hand from her ear, either. "And it does… I have Benny get me pain-numbing herbs to deal with it…"

"That sounds… terrible." Mira can feel magic coming from Atsuna's fingers and while it startles her, she doesn't pull away… she does trust Atsuna. "So… I'll teach you magic… alright?" She smiles so gently. "I'm not letting you hurt like that again."

Now, while Mira may be close to Yserna in one sense, she's never let anyone do, well… this. Touch. Atsuna's fingers slide across her scarred ears without any issue, and the skin is so warm and inviting and… Several seconds pass in silence. Well… that was draining on a different level. "Would you like to go to sleep?" Mira asks, finally pulling away, her face a bit flushed.

Atsuna nods, yawns, and pulls her own hand back "I would and I feel… a bit relieved?" She sheepishly smiles, a flush forming. "That was nice, I'm glad we talked… even if the talks were tough. Mira, I'm so happy you're a friend!" A pause, "Mira? Would you be alright… sleeping like this?" She gestures towards her own scars. "I normally do, and trust me… you'll feel a lot better in the morning. It may be a small amount of magic, but having the spell on all the time can take its toll."

Mira hesitates, "I…" A breath, "Alright." The two rise from the table and head towards Mira's bedroom, with Atsuna still being quite shirtless.

"It's ready, Mira." Charlotte informs them. "Have a good night's sleep."

Mira gets under the sheets… **then** takes off her nightgown, placing it on the stand next to her. She feels some ruffling as Atsuna joins in. "Good night, Atsuna." Mira whispers, then startles as Atsuna actually presses herself up to her.

"Uh… too close?"

"No no… you're fine. I want you to be comfortable." Even if Mira can feel their skin touching… scars and all. Wait… when did Atsuna discard her clothes?!

"Good night, Mira." Atsuna hums, clearly content. Still though, having a warm body up to her like this? She barely budged when the other wrapped and arm around her frontside… to have someone this close. A smile forms, friendship at its finest, just two scarred girls looking out for each other. Mira closes her eyes and soon falls back asleep.

And she has the deepest sleep she ever had… one with relieved emotional and magical tension… and the warmth of a girlfriend she holds closer and dearer than before.

* * *

**A/N:** *Ahem*, well then... whew. That was rough. I mean... there's been dark undertones being placed out here, but this is the second time it came out so bluntly... however! Mira and Atsuna have opened up to each other! Consider this their 'A' support. Also... snuggles! Snuggles and cuddles can be the cure to so much! Nothing like wrapping up in the arms of a close friend to chase away those nasty nightmares.

Oh, I'd also like to mention that I did **not** state the death of Atsuna's bodyguards, only that they haven't returned... remember, all of the elite dancers have their own bodyguards, even if I'm out of creative juice to give them names and unique personalities.

Lastly... each of the girls here has their own troubles and past problems, ones that go past looks. So, now that we know (most of) Mira's and Atsuna's... what could be going on with Echo, Yserna, Azura... and perhaps even Liavio?


	14. Strolling Through the Garden

**A/N:** Imma just focus another chapter on Mira and Atsuna, then I'll go onto other topics.

* * *

**Dancers:** **Liavio**: The instructor and lead dancer… is basically Olivia from Awakening, just without the shyness. **Mirande (Corrin)**: Aside from her canon personality, there is a darker undertone to her behavior when she's alone… she's heavily concerned about her appearance, she's also slightly taller than the rest. **Yserna**: The second best dancer, next to Echo, who first found out about Mirande in the streets of Crynkesia… she hails from Izumo. **Atsuna**: The newest dancer, she's still adjusting to the stress of being on the elite team and can be shy. **Echo**: The best of the elite group, she's darker skinned, and the only real problem she has is her high metabolism, which keeps her just a bit too skinny.

* * *

**Dandaman5:** *wags eyebrows* You would, wouldn't you? Well… it might be a bit of time, still… it is one of the most heavily guarded secrets Mira has to (not) offer! However! I will promise it **will** be revealed. Trust me… once it is revealed, you just might want to re-read the fic with that secret unleashed… it should change how you view certain events.

* * *

**Consort:** Aw, there's no way I'd just off one of these girls like that! Erm, not saying this fic will be free of deaths that is. Heh… these dancers are a lot tougher than you might see at first glance. You'll see that that, when it comes down to it, they **will** fight back. Atsuna knows magic, sure it's Illusion magic, but a practical mind could still put such magic to use in a combat scenario.

And Mira opens up for one of her fellow girlfriends! It also seems like there's a lot more common ground than we might have first thought… makes you wonder if the rest are as driven for looks due to past experiences.

* * *

**Namu Rosutoai:** Lol… sorry about that, had ideas bubbling out of the woodworks and I wanted to get them out so I could… get these next set of ideas out! Besides, you could always just review each chapter individually, y'know? I got no problem with that, especially if you might need the extra room to leave your thoughts. Oh! And... ooo… snow. I like the snow… I miss the snow… we don't get snow down here in the Sunshine State :(

The death of Atsuna's mother is the last thing that ended up pushing Atsuna to do something… leaving Port Dia and going to Cyrnkensia to go even further into dancing. Heeey… waht? No, Mira finds Kaden charming, but not enough to overcome her love for Leo. She's allowed to see the beauty in other men and still have a heavy crush on Leo.

Heh… wouldn't you like to know? Maybe all of that ruff (HA!) physical contact while wrestling did something to the (definitely female) Wolfskin?

Hm… don't be so quick to assign all of them nobles as corrupt and power-hungry. The father could still be keeping appearances, but it still could've shattered his heart to make that call in the first place. Maybe he wasn't strong-willed enough to break custom to make that stand and declare he'll keep a whore's child in the first place? But… that's just me trying to stir up your own thoughts, not me making lore call outs. Oof, yeah… appearances. Well, the fic is titled 'Vanity' for a reason, looks are playing heavily into the girls here. And yes, neck to right above the waist, but also keep in mind that not every inch of skin has that burnt or sunken look.

Oh-ho! And perhaps Leo didn't mention it, because that would be rather… uncalled for? He was raised as a Royal, and I'm pretty sure that ettique doesn't include asking about why a person is wearing makeup/magic to cover specific areas of the body. The same can be said for Sakura, but… I think her healer instincts will win out by the end of the day, and she'll point them out, if only to help heal Atsuna. *clears throat* Kaden knows. What does he know? He knows, he's just too nice and considerate to bluntly state it out loud… but he **does** know. That's all I'm saying. (Doing this more to feed your overthinking.)

Hooked… just like how Mira *blocked with dat spoiler wall*! Erm, but yes… we'll find out what other potential scars are being hidden, and maybe… just maybe we'll get to see Mira's big secret?

* * *

Mirande lets out a small moan as she wakes up, and for a moment, she forgot why she would be so warm and cozy… then she feels a small shift literally right up against her backside and she remembers why… Atsuna's face is pressed up against the back of the neck, and she can feel the smile on her face, an arm reaches around and presses against her side, just a few inches to her front, slow and gentle breathing hits her skin. Gods… Mira unconsciously crosses her legs, she's so **warm**. She barely even needs the blanket at this point. She places a hand over Atsuna's hand…

What would Lord Leo feel like in this situation?

Oh, oh… yep, that's good thoughts right there… "Uh, Mira?" Atsuna groggily asks, "Why are you… rubbing against me?"

Mira squeaks, her entire face flushes an intense red, and she scoots up… just enough to remove herself from the bed, **thunk**! She slams on the floor, at least it's blanketed by carpet. "Oof…" She groans, while slowly reaching up for her nightgown, lest Atsuna actually sees her naked. "One… moment." With great effort and a well-exercised body… Mira successfully snags the nightgown… only for the stand to topple down and narrowly miss her.

"Gods, Mira, are you okay?" Atsuna peeps her head over the bedframe, just enough to where the upper half of her eyes are showing, and what does she see?

The stark-naked backside of Mira. "I-I-I got this…" She whimpers. "Could you… uh, look away?"

"...I've already seen your scars, but… okay." Atsuna retreats back out of sight, and with a hefty breath, Mira stands, backside still facing Atsuna, and she slips into her nightgown. "Why… are there worse scars?"

"Y-Yeah, really bad ones." A hesitant answer. "Much worse than what you have, girl." Her voice drops. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Woah woah, I… gods, I'm sorry, Mira! I… I…" Wait, did she really just sound that mean? "Um… maybe I should go and…?"

"W-wait! Atsuna! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound rude!" Mira reaches out, quickly moving over to Atsuna… who is still quite bare. She squeaks and looks away, "S-Sorry, I didn't mean to look."

Atsuna innocently tilts her head, before gasping, "Oh right, you aren't used to… nudity like this." And then in a move that captures Mira's attention… Atsuna mutters a spell and her clothes slip on… the clothes literally just… went pass her body like she wasn't there. It's like she's wearing a buttoned jacket, but there were no buttons. "Huh? What's wrong, Mira?"

"How did you do that?"

"Oh… you aren't used to that, either." She waves a hand over herself and magically covers her scars. She rubs an arm with a hand, a sheepish smile plastered on her face, "Sorry, I'm so used to waking up with one of my bodyguards, and…" She trails off, her face loses some color, and her concern rises, "Gods, I hope they're alright." Atsuna holds onto herself, her eyes wide and her breathing quickens.

"Hey, Atsuna? Breathe. You're safe." Mira reaches out to hug her. "Would you like to go out for a bit? Maybe get some tea?" She looks around and… "Charlotte?"

"Sure thing, Mira!" The blonde quickly responds, "Hey, Benny! We're heading out!"

"...Actually, I like to go somewhere else, if you don't mind… Mira." She smiles up at her, "Have you ever been to the gardens, here?"

Mira hums for a moment, "I think so? Only a few times. I prefer the canal intersection when it comes to sitting and waiting to look around."

Atsuna pulls from the hug, then clasps her hands together, "Oh… we should go, then!"

Mira simply smiles, "Of course, Atsuna… I'd love to go there with you." Anything to keep her smiling.

* * *

The sun is shining quite nicely, there's a gentle breeze, and the citizens of Crykensia are going about their daily business with seemingly little to no worry… despite the clear increase in guards. Indeed, when Mira glanced into an alleyway, there was usually a few guards walking in them. Now, she knows that her home has thieves and other petty criminals hiding deep in the shadows, it would be a miracle if there were a city completely free of crime, but…

Crykensia never had the threat of a serial killer like Hans… and on top of that, a man who's somehow managed to avoid getting caught for **years**. The thought sends shivers through Mira, however… there's a certain amount of security regained when she remembers that Benny told her that Lord Xander made it clear that Hans **will** be caught, that he won't leave this city without punishment. And… and if the Nohrian Royalty are getting involved like this?

Mira gently rubs Atsuna's hand as they walk, reveling in the warmth of another… even if that other person is a woman. The two share a smile, but the walk remains in silence, since no words need to be said. Because of that, even Charlotte keeps herself from bringing up any topics. There are far few better comforts than just existing for the other, being there… offering their everything, but all Mira wants is the touch and love.

Her heart picks up a quicker beat and her face flushes, but it's an enjoyable warmth, just… pure love and care. These elite dancers are far beyond 'co-dancers' and 'friends', heck… Mira and Atsuna recently showed off their scars to each other. Trust is so definite and… Mira spontaneously hugs Atsuna, before placing a gentle kiss on her cheek.

Atsuna, being the more shy one that she is, nervously giggles and looks away, her face completely flushed from Mira's bold action. To an outsider, this might seem like these two girls are 'together', but nope… just two women that care for each other. The two girlfriends reach the gardens without issue and once there, the silence continues as they stroll amongst the flowers, with the only difference being whenever Atsuna or Mira points in a general direction, or maybe a small gasp when a flower really stands out. Benny remained at the doorway, while Charlotte keeps a respectable distance.

Not to say that there's only flowers and plants to look at, of course.

Butterflies and small bugs fly through the air, though none of them seem too bothered by the gigantic humans walking around. Nor do the ground-based creatures are frightened. It's almost a fairy-tale depiction of life. So peaceful, so pure… so right. Nearly an hour passes before the two finally sit down on a bench and relax for a moment.

"Alright, I gotta admit… this spot has gotten a lot better." Mira smiles. "A lot more has been added since I've been here." She kicks her feet around, while still holding onto Atsuna's hand. "Do you come here often?"

A slow nod, "I do. It's so relaxing and lovely." Despite that, a sterner expression forms, "Momma had a specific kind of flower she always kept in the house," Then she… giggles? Her body relaxes and she turns to look right at Mira, "Would you like to know which flower?"

Well, Atsuna's expression has really brightened up and a beautiful smile has formed, "A rose?"

She shakes her head, "Ironically enough… it was a blossom of a… Cherry Blossom… a Sakura petal." She pauses, "Actually, to tell the truth… those two flowers aren't exactly the same, but…" She swings her legs, "I just thought it was funny, since you know… Princess Sakura."

A few minutes pass, "What was your mother like?"

"Hm…" She hums, looks up towards the sky with a smile, then asks, "What do you think a prostitute is like?" Oh wow, that's a blunt question.

"Uh…" Mira pauses for a moment, "Really… small amounts of clothes? Always showing themselves off and…" Atsuna giggles again.

"Are… are we always dressed to dance?" She asks. "Just because we're dancers?"

"Huh… good point."

"So, why would a prostitute be any different?"

Mira nods, "Alright, so she dressed as any woman would?"

"She kept herself quite clothed, she really liked keeping her 'job' and 'daily' life separate. Sure, the people would recognize her, but she would outright deny any advances if she wasn't 'working'." Atsuna looks around while adding, "She taught me many things… she was very strong-willed. She showed me that she was independent enough to raise me on her own. We never got any support from father, but she still raised me quite well. We sometimes even went to some of the better places to buy food or clothes. She had a few custom made clothing pieces for her daily life."

"Well… that's appearances, but…?" Mira leads on.

"She showed happiness everyday, even when she came home really tired and sometimes she had trouble walking, she'd pull me into this big hug and pepper me with kisses. She'd cook these wonderful meals and prepare them to how I like to eat them, before I could even get a serving for me. She'd wave other people in Port Dia down, and she'd talk to them. She…" And finally, she cracks, "Why would anyone want to… to…? I don't get it! It's not fair! She was so loving and caring and open and kind and **why**?!" Tears stream down and she trembles.

Mira hugs her… and apart from Atsuna's past-fueled tears and Mira's coos of assurance… silence resumes.

* * *

The two dancers returned to Mira's house, with only a few hours to spare before the curfew kicked in. "Thank you for your time, Mira… I…" Atsuna starts as they enter her house. "I think I'll return home, if you don't mind."

The thought didn't sit well with Mira, "Without your bodyguards? I'd rather you stay here with me."

Atsuna fiddles with her clothes, "I don't want to impose on you, Mira. I should really go back home."

"Atsuna, don't talk like that! You aren't imposing on me. I'm worried for you! It's bad enough we got this curfew and that… **Hans** out there, but…" Mira sighs, "On one condition."

"Sure thing." Atsuna gently smiles.

"Benny is going with you."

"Mira?" Charlotte asks.

"I'm not letting her go back to her house **alone**." Mira stands firm. "At least until you get some more bodyguards, I want Benny to be with you."

"Mira…" Atsuna breathes, "Alright, if it soothes you."

Mira smiles, "It does. So…" She hugs the other girl, "Be safe, Atsuna." The hug lasts for almost a minute, and when they finally do part, Mira also kisses the other's cheek, and waves. "I'll see you later, Atsuna!"

She smiles back, "I'll see you later too, Mira!" And with that, Atsuna leaves the house… with Benny in tow.

* * *

**A/N:** Ah-ha! It seems that Atsuna has a few… tricks up her sleeve! Makes one wonder just how much magical potential she's truly packing. Because now it's seeming a lot more than just some Illusion magic, and aside from that. Another safe moment of time, a trip to the gardens, and a bit more comfort for Atsuna. Though, she does go back home with Benny, and if her own bodyguards didn't come knocking on Mira's door just yet…

Days in the infirmary, unsure of where Atsuna is at, or outright dead? The call is yours, because it isn't getting answered just yet.

Hm… anyway, Atsuna has had more than enough screen and development time in a row, let's go visit another dancer, shall we? Or maybe a different topic?


	15. A Captivating Song and Exceptional Dance

**A/N:** Oh, do I have a surprise in store for you all today!

* * *

**Dancers:** **Liavio**: The instructor and lead dancer… is basically Olivia from Awakening, just without the shyness. **Mirande (Corrin)**: Aside from her canon personality, there is a darker undertone to her behavior when she's alone… she's heavily concerned about her appearance, she's also slightly taller than the rest. **Yserna**: The second best dancer, next to Echo, who first found out about Mirande in the streets of Crynkesia… she hails from Izumo. **Atsuna**: The newest dancer, she's still adjusting to the stress of being on the elite team and can be shy. **Echo**: The best of the elite group, she's darker skinned, and the only real problem she has is her high metabolism, which keeps her just a bit too skinny.

* * *

**Consort:** I literally cringed from reading (imagining) that. Just… **ow**. Yeah, you think mentioning filing her teeth were bad, just… ow. I can't even.

Oh-ho yes, and it won't be long… it won't be long. Mayhaps… next chapter?

* * *

**Joe (Guest):** A long and tearful reunion of mother and daughter. Questions of how Mira got to that village in Nohr in the first place, assurances and comfort abound…

Or maybe things aren't as they seem?

* * *

Liavio claps her hands as the dancers finish off their practice, each of the dozen women are breathing rather heavily. "Great job, girls!" She calls out. "Keep up the good work, and I'll see you all next week!" She smiles as the women give their thanks and make their departures. "Mirande?" She turns to look at Mira. "Do you see any potential?"

"That's a lot of feet to keep track at the same time, Liavio…" Mira trails off for a moment, "I'll admit, I got lost through all of the movement."

The lead dancer giggles for a moment, though she does hold a hand over her mouth. "I'll be honest, I have a harder time keeping track of you four while you're dancing."

"Huh? Really?" She tilts her head.

She nods in kind, "You, Echo, Yserna, and Atsuna… you four are so in sync. One slight twitch could ruin the entire moment and send you four falling." A short pause, "But, I didn't invite you here just to watch the others dance."

"Right, we've got some higher-ups to impress today!" She exclaims.

"It'll just be you and Azura."

"Wait, what? I mean… not that I have a problem with that, but I thought…" No, Mira **knows** that Liavio said that Azura would perform with all of the elite dancers.

"I'm afraid it isn't my decision, Mira." She frowns. "I was able to convince them to see Azura perform, but then they gave me that condition… my hands are tied. I only have control over the dancers here."

Mira nod, "True… well, I wish the others could be here, but… I'm sure we can still show them that it's for the best if Azura sings and dances!"

"That's my girl!" The mood is brought up and… "Alright, get to the back and prep yourself up! You have about an hour."

Mira giggles, "Yes, ma'am!" She offers a more playful salute, before going onto the stage, and into the back. There are a number of dancers still here, some of them chatting, some removing make-up, others putting a different set on, maybe changing clothes… all of them having a good time. "How's it going, girls?" Mira asks out loud as she makes her way to her own makeup station. Let's see… Azura is wearing a primarily light-blue setup. What should she wear to compliment it? Hm… her eyes scan over her make-up choices…

Lilac.

Soft and gentle, and it should work well with Azura's light blue. Mira nods to herself and grabs the appropriate set of lilac-based colors. She sits down onto the chair… time to get to work…

Whew, it may not be actual dancing, but sitting down and applying makeup for nearly forty minutes is a toll in itself. Still, Mira is finished with her work. She looks at herself in the mirror, more than satisfied with her handiwork. She holds a hand over her face, deftly moving a finger or two to check her ears… good, the magic is still holding up very well, a bit over to her eyes, still good. Mira lets out a breath, safe and covered.

She **is** beautiful.

"You got this, girl." She tells herself. "And we'll get another one on our team."

"Mirande?" She then startles as the melodic voice of Azura rings out… gods, it's like she's singing right now. "Oh, apologies…"

"It's alright, I was just thinking…" She turns around and flashes a smile. Whew, Mira may be attracted to men, but… Azura is undeniably beautiful. Has to be her hair… the amount of time she must spend washing it… "I'll get you on the team, don't worry about that."

A small quirk for her lips, but not quite enough to be considered a smile. "It's alright, I'm not that nervous…" She trails off.

Mira can see something more. "Azura?"

"It's nothing." The small rise fades, and her face is straight.

"A smile can go a long way." She instead advises. She tries, and Mira can see the actual effort she's putting in. Is… is smiling really so hard for her? "But don't force it, just… think of something that makes you feel good and warm and happy!" Ironically, just saying that brings a smile to her face.

Several moments pass as Azura remains deep in thought. "I remember… mother returning home late, bearing a bottle of fruit juice? It was the first 'want' we had in weeks."

...And now Mira almost wish she didn't ask. Alright, so… Azura grew up poor? Her mother had to work late. Atsuna's mother always worked late, and Mira was struggling day to day before being plucked out of the streets by Yserna. Regardless, Mira nods, attempting to coax more of the 'good' out of that. "There you go, and that had you feeling good, right?"

A small raise in her lips, but an actual smile refuses to form. "Yes, it does." Well then, it seems that is as far as her 'smile' goes right now. That… actually concerns Mira a bit, but! She won't make a big deal out of it right now… there's an audition to be had! "So, this dance… Miss Liavio said it was last month's dance?" Eyes a bit lit up, so… that at least adds to the good mood.

Mira nods, "Yep, that's what she told me and the other girls. So… what is the song you're gonna sing?"

Azura ruffles through her dress, into a pocket, and pulls out a sheet of paper. "It's more they want to hear the range of my vocals, and then hear a sample of a few genres of music." She supplies, reading it over. "I've been given a popular opera song." She furrows her brows, "I can understand the lyrics, but the title is beyond me… it's written in an archaic and outdated form of Nohrian."

Oh? Consider Mira's interest piqued! "May I see?"

"Sure, Mira." She hands her the paper, and… yep.

Mira can read leaders, but she can't pronounce whatever this is: _Der Hölle Rache_. "Uh, alright?" She sheepishly hands it back, "Yeah… never heard of it." Crykensia is known for dancing, not singing. There is the occasional singer in the, as much as Mira rather not use the term, 'normal' dancing group… the elite dancing group lacks a singer. It's just the rules that the higher ups hold.

"It's no issue… I'm unfamiliar with opera." She admits. "Nearly every song I learned was passed down from my mother, from her mother… familial songs, traditional in nature, dating back a number of generations ago." Ah-ha!

"You like history." Mira smiles.

Azura startles a bit, perhaps a bit taken aback by Mira's sudden comment… but then she nods. "I do, most of the songs I know date back many, many thousands of years. Which is why, while I do recognize the time period the title of the opera is used in, I don't recognize the specific usage. It must be a small town or tribe's variation of it, which then grew popular, but the title was kept as is for respect." Yep…

Azura enjoys history. "Alright, girls!" Liavio walks in from the main stage. "They're here, and you've got five minutes… show them that we could very much use such a beautiful voice to accompany our dancers!" She smiles at Azura. "We all believe in you, Azura!" Then to Mira. "I know you got this, but I want to say it anyway… good luck!" She clasps her hands. "I look forward to the upcoming performance, have fun you two!"

"Will do, Liavio!" Mira waves as the lead dancer skips off.

"I can't get over how lively she is…" Azura speaks, then clears her throat, "So, Mira… shall we perform?"

"Absolutely!"

* * *

In the front chairs, where it was just Liavio earlier… now also sits two well-dressed people, one man and one woman. Frankly, they look exactly the part of snobby business people, offering only the smallest of humanity with a simple nod as Azura and Mira make their way onto stage. Mira was never fond of the owners… nor was anyone, really. You would need to have a love for business and **coin** to get along with people like that, but…

That's the type of person that needs to run huge attractions and businesses. As stuck-up as those two are, they also keep Crykensia running well. Oh yes, not just the theater, but the city as a whole. Mira can respect that, but what she can't get over is how serious they are, always staring, always judging… doesn't it ever tire them out? Thinking of a million ways to get the most gold out of something, another million on how to get to that point…

And gods, those two are so stern, that they formed **frown** lines… a stark contrast to Liavio's laughter lines. Even the lead dancer herself seems a bit more sullen, trapped between the two. "Alright, girls!" Her voice is a bit more tame… the spark of life is there, but dimmed.

"Mirande." Female, but sounding more like a drone. She leans forward with her excessive makeup, too 'perfect' hair, and pursed lips. "Our elite dancer that came off of the streets." No sound of disgust or amazement, she's just… there. "You've done well. Profits have risen, and your kindness causes the **normal** dancers to perform better…" Alright, there it is… she almost sneers at 'normal'.

"Thank you, ma'am." Regardless, Mira bows. "I'm more than happy to perform!"

"Azura." Male, holding some papers. As he goes to read them, Liavio reaches out and shakes her head.

"She's well aware of where she came from, sir."

"Daughter of a late Nohrian once-noble and a traveling performer, Arete." The… father doesn't even get to be named?

"I am, sir." Azura's affirmation is brief, though Mira can hear the pain in her voice.

Liavio gives the man a side glance, "Are you two ready?!" She exclaims.

"Here we go, Azura!" Mira smiles.

"Y-yes…" Great, the man unnerved her. If Mira has any say in it, he did that on purpose. Do… do they really think adding a singer will be that bad to the dancers? No! Not now! They will prove them wrong! "I'm ready." She states, sounding more confident.

"One, and two, and…" Liavio counts off, and with a timing that can only be done with so much repeated practice… Mira starts the very moment Liavio ends with 'three'. Thankfully, Azura isn't too far behind, and she begins singing within a second of Mira dancing… as well as throwing in her own dance moves. Mira takes a half-second to try and listen to Azura's song, but…

She's actually singing in a language that Mira can't understand. So, Mira instead completely focuses on her dance, the same one that was performed in the previous month's performance. She… might not be a vocal expert, but she has a feeling that Azura's musical beat and the motions of Mira's own dancing aren't quite matching up. Even though Azura's song and dance are matching perfectly.

However, despite what Mira considers a spectacular performance, the two owners seem unimpressed. Liavio is giving a supportive and approving smile, but… ugh. Why do the owners look so disinterested? It's stupid! They should…

Stomp, stomp. An echoey sound… sounds out. Though, Mira doesn't stop until the person has already made their way in between Azura, Mira, and the rest. "I'm here to dance." Her tone is firm, quick, and definite. Mira looks up and for a second… could've sworn that the person in between them is a **he**. If it weren't for her tone, her breasts and rear, this would certainly look a man.

The man stands up, "Leave."

"No."

"Ma'am, if you…" Liavio starts.

"No."

"I don't have time for this… guards!" The woman calls out.

The interruptor smirks. "I'm here to dance." She crosses her arms.

"Guards!" The woman repeats.

Nobody comes.

Liavio taps her fingers, "Ma'am? I can get you onto the team, but you'll need to wait until after these two are done."

"Her? No, there's no way she'll…"

"My name is Soleil, and I want to join the main team." The pink-hair cuts off the woman, **again**. "I got the moves you guys need." One arm goes to her side, she leans slightly forward.

"Soleil, I can appreciate your determination, but I'll need to see you after…"

"I can do what she did, right now." She points at Mira. "No flaws." How long was she standing there, then?

The man sits down, and takes a breath. "Mirande, off the stage." He firmly states. "Soleil, you will take her place. If I see even **one** misstep, you and Azura will **both** leave, and will **not** return!"

Mira's heart slows a bit, she glances at Liavio, who seems just as shocked as her. "S-sir…?"

"Off. The. Stage." He repeats.

Mira looks at Soleil, who seems so confident and… she nods, then walks off. Gods, please don't let this chance get ruined. "Liavio?" She quietly asks, feeling incredibly worried.

The lead dancer remains quiet. "Take it from the top, girls." She somehow manages to retain her composure. "One, and two, and…" The song and dance resumes… doubt fades as Mira watches Soleil. Gods, it's like looking in the mirror, except that… well. No, there's no way! Soleil **had** to have been at the monthly performance. Mira is the fastest learner on the team, but even she had to spend some time practicing, before Yserna happened to be in the area.

Soleil is wearing some sort of leather-based traveling garb… strangely cut around her chest area, which reveals enough to show her cleavage and just a tad bit of breast. Her pink hair is left in an almost wild state: her bangs are brushed down in front of her face, but they don't go lower than her eyebrows, while the sides are pulled back into a messy ponytail. Her eyes are bursting with life, alongside a striking and bold brown color. She has an admittedly fancy cloth-studding covering her arms, topped off with some jewels. Her blue pants are skin-tight, and while Mira prefers men… she can't lie, Soleil's pants show off her rear **very** well. Lastly, she has on a pair of black shoes… though when looking at the soles, they must be boots.

All in all, Soleil does look very attractive… even for a woman. It also helps she has this beautiful smile that only Liavio can match. In fact, Mira must've been so caught up in her looks, that she didn't even notice that the song and dance had ended. Oh wow… she places a hand on her chest for a moment, did… did her heart just race?! No! She knows she loves Prince Leo! Soleil just happened to catch her eye… like how Kaden did. Mira gulps, then feels a sudden urge to cross her legs, which she does do.

"Great job, girls!" Liavio claps, though her enthusiasm isn't reflected by the owners.

"We'll get back to you tomorrow, Liavio." The man gets up, the woman follows suit.

"Indeed." The woman blankly responds.

"Hey, **hey**! What about…!" Soleil speaks up.

"Quiet, or there will be **no** chance of you joining!" The woman snaps back, and the two swiftly leave.

"Hmph." Soleil huffs, "So, how did I do?" She directs her attention to Liavio.

"Exceptionally well, um… Soleil?"

"That's my name!" She smiles. "Glad to hear it. I'll have you know that that is my first time doing that dance." She proudly places a finger on her own, admittedly considerable, chest… gods, she even has Yserna beat in that department. "Mama said I have a 'picture-perfect memory'. I see it once, I remember it perfectly."

"I see, though…" Liavio takes a breath, "Oh, Azura? You may rest. You as well, Mira." She then turns her attention back to Soleil, "I would appreciate it if you hadn't barged in like that…"

"Huh? Oh, that cutie at the front let me in." Soleil smiles, "She put up one hell of an arm wrestle, though…"

"Charlotte?!" Mira exclaims.

"Oh, that's her name? Blond hair, beautiful blue eyes…" Mira nods mid-description. "Awesome…" She then bows, "Might I know all of your names, as well?"

She's really… to the point. "My name is Mirande, though you can call me Mira. This is our instructor, Liavio. She is our most recent addition, Azura."

"...If I can get in." Azura speaks. "I'm worried that this interruption will…"

"We'll make it." Soleil cuts her off. "I can assure you of that." She then faces Liavio, "So, when's the next dance?" Well, Mira can at least appreciate her optimism of joining after, y'know… barging in and demanding a moment.

Liavio sighs, but she also smiles, "I would love to have another dancer on the team."

Soleil giggles, then spins in place. "Awesome! I'm so looking forward to dancing!" Right then and there, she resumes with… oh, wow. She… she can bend. Mira tilts her head as Soleil was, for a moment, standing in place, but now she's reaching all the way back, her hands on the floor… her feet on the floor, then proceeds to move into a handstand, bends her arms a bit, and **jumps** off of the floor, back onto her feet.

…

Silence. Even Liavio is left speechless. Mira just stands there, mouth open and head remained tilted. Azura takes her leave. Soleil rubs the back of her head, and giggles once more.

* * *

**A/N:** Erm, well then. I, uh… did a re-design to Soleil's character. So, lemme say right here and now… no, she does **not** have any familial connections to her canon family. Soleil is her own character for this fic.


	16. Staying Away From Their Han(d)s

**A/N:** First and foremost, this chapter is getting split up into two… why? Well, both of them are happening at night, but the second chapter… isn't going to be in Mira's PoV. I'm actually going to start touching up on the Awakening Trio/Morgan's side of things… and the new reveals. I realize that the amount of plot threads in here will be too much for just Mira. So, yeah...

* * *

**Dancers:** **Liavio**: The instructor and lead dancer… is basically Olivia from Awakening, just without the shyness. **Mirande (Corrin)**: Aside from her canon personality, there is a darker undertone to her behavior when she's alone… she's heavily concerned about her appearance, she's also slightly taller than the rest. **Yserna**: The second best dancer, next to Echo, who first found out about Mirande in the streets of Crynkesia… she hails from Izumo. **Atsuna**: The newest dancer, she's still adjusting to the stress of being on the elite team and can be shy. **Echo**: The best of the elite group, she's darker skinned, and the only real problem she has is her high metabolism, which keeps her just a bit too skinny.

* * *

**Consort:** Heh, glad Soleil has made such an impact, because whew… well, she's also got a thing or two up her sleeves when it comes to well-hidden secrets. Though… Soleil chatting it up with Benny? A spar? Hrm… but, yes! The incredible photographic memory! It seems Soleil here is very talented, though I wouldn't place her skill into something like forging a signature so quickly…

I totally agree in that regard. Are the owners snobbish? Absolutely, but they are, quite literally, making a decision that could be the difference of Crynkensia getting an economic boost… or collapse. I can only imagine how much stress that might put on a person.

* * *

Mira groggily rubs her eyes as she walks out of her room in her standard sleeping gown, then proceeds to go to last night's leftovers… or are they tonight's leftovers? "Be…" She starts, but then stops, oh right… "Charlotte?" She calls out instead. Nothing. Ah, she must be outside right now, patrolling. Mira reaches into the counter and grabs the bowl of luke-warm noodles, which she takes to the dining table and… right, a fork might help. She sighs, gets out of the chair, then goes over to the drawer to grab a fork, there. She rubs her temples, then moves a hand to use the fork, getting a fork-full of noodles… and takes a very ungraceful mouthful. Whew, it's good that none of the other dancers are here to see _that_ particular display. She then adds to this by scratching her head and accidentally unlodging her hair band, causing her hair to cascade over her, blocking her vision and some unlucky strands falling straight into her bowl of noodles. A second sigh.

Well, even the best can have their off days.

She takes a moment to pull back her hair, then reaches into her pocket and grabs a spare hairband, she proceeds to make a quick and messy ponytail, complete with a number of strands refusing to bundle up with the rest, but… she's too tired to care right now. And hungry. She's sleepy and hungry.

Sleengry, if you will.

With her hair mostly out of the way, she then picks out those unruly three strands or so of hair attempting to act as noodles, and tosses them onto the floor… alongside one poor noodle who got mixed in by mistake. Ugh. Mira narrows her eyes at the bowl, and finally resumes eating. The rest of the meal is finished off quite well, though by the time she gets over to the sink and plops the bowl and fork in, well…

The fork has scratch marks on it.

Mira blinks her eyes, looks at it closer, then carefully prods one of her… great. Just great! "Why?!" She speaks her first word since waking up. "Why?! I **don't want** these!" She leans over the sink, dropping the fork with a loud clang, and just… starts crying, right there. It hasn't even been a month! "Stupid sharp teeth, stupid pointed ears and red eyes, just… **why**?!" She jams her knee into the counter door hard enough to echo out a distinct snap and a bit of a tear. Her dress rips around the knee, her knee itself is fine, though there's now a small hole in that door.

It takes her several minutes, but she does eventually manage to dry up the tears, step away from the counter, and walk back to her bed, avoiding the temptation of just getting something else to eat. Or at least, she would've just went straight back to bed, had her front door not open. A small smile graces Mira's face as she sees Charlotte step in.

That smile morphs into a frown when she sees how **serious** Charlotte looks. "We need to leave."

"W-what?" Of course she heard her, but…

"Guard count is dropping, people are getting picked off. We need to move, Mira." The information sent chills throughout Mira.

"Oh, but… where?" Regardless, Mira rushes over to Charlotte.

"We're going to hole up at the theater." She whispers in return. "There's a few fortified positions we can take advantage of." Mira simply nods. She trusts Charlotte. "Don't worry, I'll keep you safe, Mira." A pause, "Alright, you ready?"

Mira gulps, then nods, "On you."

Charlotte deftly opens the door, and proceeds to walk out, with Mira up next to her. Both of the women's footsteps are near silent. They know this city through and through… every alleyway, every building… and Charlotte is aware of every sniping point, which is **a lot**, mind you, since most of them involve looking up. Mira's breath is quick and almost frantic, her heart is beating a speed that easily surpasses any other moment in her life, even the thought of Lord Leo's touch. Her eyes are quickly scanning every spot she can think of, despite Charlotte probably already having looked over every area twice as much. She reaches out and touches Charlotte's hand, just for some reassurance. A strong squeeze is offered, Mira's heart settles a bit.

It wasn't until nearly several minutes in until Mira realizes just how **quiet** it really is. The only sound of footsteps are from her and Charlotte, she can't see anyone else, no lights, just… buildings and silence. "Mira…" Charlotte warns, and no less than a second later, she shoves Mira to the side, and ducks.

**Swish**! An arrow blazes right past the spot where their heads just were. "Ngh!" Thud, someone gurgles as the sound of metal hits cobblestone. Charlotte rounds in the direction of the arrow the next second, and another is fired… past her? Another thud. Mira blinks her eyes as she looks in the direction of the thuds… they don't have guard armor.

"Returns aren't accepted." Wait, Mira recognizes that voice. "No payment plans, either." Step step, "Mira, uh… Charlotte?" Morgan asks.

"You almost shot us!" Mira's bodyguard snarls, not that Mira could blame her.

"Actually, if neither of you moved, I would've clipped off about one and a half inches of hair, the arrowhead was aligned vertically, perpendicular to the ground." Huh? "Sorry we had to meet again like this, but… you two are gonna have to keep moving." He looks his bow over. "Don't go to the theater, that's where the heaviest concentration of Hans' forces are."

"Hold on." Charlotte hisses. "We…"

"Knowing people is vital to being a Tactician. Just… trust me." Morgan waves her off.

"Alright, then tell us where to go."

"Back home." He plainly tells them. "Hans is looking to scare people into the place that is the most easily secured."

"My house is… safer?" Mira asks.

"No, no way! I don't believe that." Charlotte speaks, sounding more angered.

Morgan sighs, "I'm not going to argue the point. You aren't in an army that I'm commanding. You do as I suggest, or you don't." He begins moving in the direction that Mira and Charlotte were heading. "Stay safe, you two."

"As he goes off in that direction…"

"I have a plan, and Hans will be captured tonight." He waves.

"...Charlotte?" Mira slowly asks. "Morgan sounds really confident."

"But… how is your house…" She grunts, before adjusting her posture. "Wherever you wish for us to go, milady." Her tone softens, and she turns into the Charlotte that most people know her as.

Mira looks towards the direction of the theater, "Morgan's really smart, and… I want to give him help, but I'm not good at fighting, and I don't want you to go without me, and..." She bites her lip.

Shing! Mira squeaks and reflexively ducks. Charlotte hisses and whatever was about to hit Mira, instead hits Charlotte's axe. "..."

"You little…" Charlotte huffs, pulls back, then strikes. A gasp follows, and Mira can hear some liquid splattering on the ground near her. "Not so tough now, huh?!" A follow-up strike, and the third thud of the night. "Hey, Mira…"

"I wanna go home!" She whimpers. "Charlotte, this is **scary**!" She rises and throws herself around her bodyguard.

"Hey, sh… we'll do that, but I'm going to need you to stay quiet, alright?" She returns the hug and pats her head. Mira slowly nods, tears running down, heart beating so fast… fear. The two break, and Charlotte takes the lead. There is the occasional sniff and whimper from Mira, but other than that… going back home was relatively calm. It seemed Morgan was correct, that Hans was just using fear to get everyone to go to the theater to get… Mira gulps and shakes her head, no! Don't think about that!

She and Charlotte enter her home. Clatter. Mira's blood runs **frigid**… someone else is in her home. Charlotte moves forward slowly. Step, step. Mira backs up to the wall, breathing erratically. "Cha…!" She automatically squeals out as she feels someone wrap a hand around her front, pinning her arms to her side with incredible strength… considering how small the arms are, and something cold and metallic is near her neck.

"Let her go!" Charlotte demands.

"One step, she's dead." The response is cold and detached… like the gauntlets she's wearing. "Move, out." Mira stares ahead at Charlotte as she and this abductor, assassin person guides her out. Creak, the door opens, the person steps out with Mira in tow, and…

"Let. Her. Go." The abductor halts.

"The perimeter was secured and…" Mira can hear her mutter.

"Not gonna say it again. Put the dagger down, let her go." Hold on, Mira also recognizes this voice, too…

"I…" The assassin starts, but is cut off with a yelp of her own, a gruesome crack, and being slammed onto the floor. Mira immediately dashes back into her house and turns around to see…

"Soleil?!" The pink-hair dancer is manhandling some light-blue hair tiny woman, though the woman's right arm is twisted in an unnatural position. There is a clear difference in raw strength, too, as Soleil only has a single knee and one arm on her, but is able to hold her down without any issue.

"Hee hee…" Soleil giggles, "Don't worry, cutie, I got your back." She **winks** at Mira, then scowls at the woman. "Not so skilled now, huh? You even try to run, and I'll break your other arm, too!"

"..."

"Yeah yeah, I know. You don't talk much." With a grunt that sounds masculine, Soleil hefts the other woman up and pulls out some… handcuffs? Within a matter of seconds, both of her arms are behind her back, despite one of them being twisted in a weird way, and cuffed together at the wrists. "Greatest Assassin, Bearer of the Most Completed Contracts, uh… what else?" She huffs, "Having the most noble blood on your hands. I swear, if His Highness dropped fair trials for all, then you would've been dead already."

"..."

"Uh-huh." She continues, "Hey, Mira! I'll catch you later, alright?" She offers a beautiful smile… as if she doesn't have a cold-blooded killer within arm's reach. "C'mon, let's go, **Beruka**."

Mira turns around and looks at Charlotte, her own eyes are wide, "Gods, I…" She was almost… almost what? Killed? Abducted?!

"You're safe, and I'll… do better." Charlotte, for a moment, seems down.

"She was in **my** house!" Mira exclaims. "How? I… I don't _feel_ safe." Panic settles in, "Charlotte… I don't know what to do."

Charlotte holds her tight, "I'll keep you safe, Mira. No matter what." She whispers. "So, let's settle down some, and stick together, alright?"

"I'll… try, Charlotte." Mira whimpers. "I'll try." Time to get through the rest of the night without completely breaking down, then.

* * *

**A/N:** What's this? Some sort of tactic-based plan with Hans? And what was Beruka doing out there, did… did she get some sort of contract?


End file.
